Functional Fitness for Older Adults
Patricia A. Brill, PhD,is the founder of Functional Fitness, L.L.C., a consulting company that designs and implements fitness and wellness programs for seniors. She has developed and produced 4 exercise and training videos for seniors as well as 10 functional fitness exercise programs with accompanying illustrated guides. For the last decade, she has conducted research and designed exercise programs for older adults living at home, in independent and assisted living communities, or in nursing homes, as well as in dementia care facilities. Older adults' regular participation in these exercise programs has resulted in their being able to walk, travel, bathe, dress themselves, and perform many social and physical activities they were previously unable to participate in.In 1998, Dr. Brill was awarded the American College of Sports Medicine Healthy People 2000 Physical Activity Promotion Award for designing and implementing a research strength training program for a large assisted-living corporation. In 1997, she was awarded the South Carolina Governor's Award for Research in Aging for the design and implementation of a placemat that illustrates a strength-training program called "The Kitchen Table Is not Just for Eating . . . Let's Exercise." Dr. Brill also was presented with the University of South Carolina's Award for Excellence in Research for the 1994-1995 academic year for the creation of a Functional Fitness Strength Training Program to Restore Activities of Daily Living in Frail Individuals. In 2001 she won the National Mature Media Award for her dementia and exercise training video.Dr. Brill is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. She has published more than 25 peer-reviewed research articles, coauthored a fitness prescription provider guide for physicians and health professionals, and has presented on exercise for older adults at more than 15 national conferences.In her free time, Dr. Brill enjoys boating, traveling, and listening to blues music. She resides in Houston, Texas.Dr. Brill's exercise and training videos that accompany some of the Functional Fitness for Older Adults exercise programs can be ordered from Functional Fitness, L.L.C at www.muscles2function.com.