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Silver Sneakers - Older adults find fun, fellowship in classes

2 March 2012

Silver Sneakers
Older adults find fun, fellowship in classes
By Debbie Juniewicz
Dayton Daily News - March 02, 2012

Jan Runkle learned the hard way just how important exercise is. The 75-year-old Kettering resident first joined the South YMCA in 1965 but, as is the case with many people, exercise took a backseat to other things and Runkle paid a price.  

“The period when I didn’t come here, I gained weight and I had a heart attack,” she said.”My health really deteriorated.”  silver_sneakers_article-sm.jpg

Runkle is back at the YMCA as part of the SilverSneakers Fitness Program, a national program designed to help older adults take control of their health by encouraging physical activity and offering social activities. SilverSneakers is a benefit offered to members of many Medicare plans across the country.

SilverSneakers programs are offered at YMCA locations across the Miami Valley as well as other facilities such as the Towne Athletic Club in Franklin and the 741 Senior Center in Lebanon.

The South YMCA in Kettering has seen steady growth in the program that it first implemented in 2007. A year ago, there were approximately 900 registered participants; now the location has more than 1,200.

“We’ve had to add classes because there is so much interest,” said Laura Duncan, of senior membership services at the South YMCA.


No excuses
Too old. Too out of shape. Too heavy. There are plenty of excuses, but none of them carry any weight with Duncan.

“It’s never too late to start,” she said. “We have people in here who are in their 90s.”

The success stories are numerous; From the woman with a walker who could barely pedal for five minutes on the stationary bake but has since dropped 40 pounds, enrolled in water aerobics and barely needs a cane, to the man who amazed his own doctor with the speed of his recovery after recent hip replacement surgery because he was in such great shape.

Bill Barnett and his wife Rose have been active participants in the SilverSneakers program since 2007. Rose, 76, has fought through four bouts of cancer to return to her workout routine time and time again.

“The first time people come in here, they can be a little bit intimidated,” Bill Barnett, 73, said. “But I’ll guarantee if they come in here for three days, they will love it. I’ve never heard anyone say they didn’t like it once they had been here a few times. I hate it when I miss it.”

The benefits
As with any new exercise program, it is advisable to discuss participation with your physician before getting started. The South YMCA also has new SilverSneakers members participate in a six-week personal fitness program, meeting with a personal wellness attendant weekly to assess their current fitness level and set personal goal.

Rich O’Connor’s fitness goal was simple. “My wife goes to Pilates and yoga and I wanted to keep up with her,” O’Connor said. The 82-year-old Centerville woman has been participating in the program for more than a decade.  “There are more activates than I have time for,” she said.

From cardio circuit to tai chi and Zumba Gold to volleyball, there are a variety of activities to choose from.Jane Doughman, 70, has noticed the results and she’s not the only one. “I was having blood drawn and the woman who was doing it, who was much younger than I am, said ‘I can’t believe how fit you are,” the bellbrook woman said. “That was great to hear. I want to have a quality life and this really helps.”

More than fitness
But it’s not just about the exercise. “One lady told me, ‘This was the best place for me when I lost my husband,’” Duncan said. “It’s about more than fitness. It’s a community.”

There are frequently birthdays or get well cards being passed around for signatures and if a regular has missed a week or two, someone is bound to check up on them. There are monthly luncheons and weekly game days. The SilverSneakers even threw together an impromptu Mardi Gras party. “It isn’t church, but I call it fellowship,” Rose Barnett said. “We’re a family here.”

SilverSneakers fitness programs
For more information on these classes or to find SilverSneakers programs in your community, visit www.silversneakers.com.

SilverSneakers Muscular Strength and Range of movement - Exercises help increase strength and range of movement for activities of daily living. Handheld weights, elastic tubing and SilverSneakers ball or offered for resistance. A chair is used for support.

SilverSneakers CardioFit - An aerobics class that’s safe, heart healthy and gentle on the joints. The workout includes easy-to-follow low-impact movement, and upper-body strength, abdominal conditioning, stretching and relaxation exercises.

SilverSneakers YogaStretch - YogaStretch will move your whole body through a complete series of seated and standing yoga poses. Chair support is offered to safely perform a variety of postures designed to increase flexibility, balance and range of movement.

SilverSplash - SilverSplash offers shallow-water moves to improve agility, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. No swimming ability is required.