Michelle Rogers, CPT

04/14/2026

Want better balance, less stiffness, and more confidence in your daily movements? Start with your hips!
Here I’m showing two simple (but powerful!) standing exercises: hip openers and side leg lifts—perfect for building strength and mobility right where you need it most. Do these holding onto a chair. Start with 8 reps each. Why focus on hip mobility as we age?🔸Improves balance and reduces fall risk 🔸Makes walking, climbing stairs, and getting in/out of chairs easier🔸Reduces stiffness and supports joint health🔸Helps protect your lower back and knees🔸Keeps you moving with confidence and independence.
Motion is lotion for the joints. Just a few minutes a day of exercise can make a BIG difference! Join my online classes for guided, supportive workouts designed for older adults! Link is in my bio.

04/12/2026

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and there’s one message I really want to share:
Exercise is powerful medicine for Parkinson’s Disease.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine and the Parkinson's Foundation, regular exercise can help improve:🔹Mobility & balance🔹 Strength & flexibility🔹 Walking & posture🔹 Mood & overall quality of life.
The recommendations include a combination of:🔸Aerobic exercise (like walking, cycling, or dancing)🔸 Strength training🔸 Balance work🔸 Stretching.
The key? Consistency. And just as important—finding activities you enjoy so you’ll stick with them.
Whether you’re living with Parkinson’s or supporting someone who is, movement truly matters—today and for the long run.
Save this post, share it with someone who could benefit, and keep moving!

04/04/2026

03/22/2026

In my senior fitness classes, we train on power as well as strength, balance and flexibility. It’s all so important to help us stay strong, mobile, and feel good.

You're not losing muscle. You're losing something 3x more dangerous.

Everyone talks about muscle loss after 50. But there is a quieter, faster decline happening that almost nobody warns you about.

It is called power.

Power is force multiplied by speed. It is the ability to generate strength quickly. Catching yourself when you trip. Pushing up from a chair. Reacting fast enough to prevent a fall.

Research shows power declines roughly three times faster than strength as you age. And here is the part that should stop you mid-scroll: a study of 94 older adults found that the people who fell were not weaker than the people who did not fall. Their knee strength was about the same.

The difference? How quickly they could push themselves up from a chair. The fallers were slower.

Your muscles are not just shrinking. The fast-twitch fibers, the ones responsible for quick, explosive movement, are disappearing first. Your nervous system is also slowing down, recruiting fewer fibers and firing them with less coordination.

This is why walking alone is not enough. Walking builds endurance. It does not build power.

You need movements with a speed component. Standing up from a chair quickly. A brisk step-up. A light squat where you push through the floor with intention.

As a physician, I see patients who are strong enough on paper but too slow to save themselves in the moment that matters.

Power is the difference between independence and a hip fracture.

Start training it today. Not tomorrow.

03/19/2026

💯This!!!! Muscle loss is pronounced when taking these weight-loss drugs. Muscle strengthening exercise is CRITICAL. Loss of muscle = future frailty, risk of falls, lowered metabolism leads to body fat gain, and a host of other issues.

03/01/2026

02/19/2026

We are excited to announce that the Parkinson’s Foundation and the American College of Sports Medicine, the world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization, have announced updated recommendations to provide safe and effective guidance on exercise for people with Parkinson’s disease!

The updated exercise recommendations were published following extensive review from subject matter experts, as well as members of the PD community who actively use the recommendations. Read more: Parkinson.org/about-us/news/updated-exercise-recommendations

02/18/2026

Exercise is key to keeping your bones strong

09/21/2025

I am excited to let you know about our upcoming Halloween themed exercise classes! They will be held during our usual Wellness in Motion and Chair Fit live online classes on Saturday, October 25, which are sponsored by the Blue Cross NC Raleigh Center.

🎃Wellness in Motion, Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. Eastern
🎃Chair Fit, Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. Eastern

When you’re at the grocery store, pick up a small pumpkin (2-3 lbs., “pie pumpkin” size – like what I’m holding in the photo), which we’ll use as a weight. If you don’t have one, you can hold a dumbbell instead, or can do it without a weight.

To make the class even more fun, feel free to wear a costume or your favorite Fall fashion.

If you would like to join our free classes you can register here: https://michellerogers.fitness/class
(If you are already a member of our Wellness in Motion or Chair Fit classes, you don't need to register separately for this — you’re in!).

Happy Fall, y'all!