For many senior citizens, especially during the winter season, the Solon Senior Center serves as their exercise home. And, according to Jenn Herman, the fitness activity coordinator for the center, it also serves as their “fitness family.”
“I like to tell people that this is your fitness family. We look out for one another,” she said. “If someone has not attended in a while, other class members might reach out to them. I also hear them share information about other classes they enjoy. It is a very welcoming group.”
She added that the benefits to taking part in exercise and fitness classes are paramount for seniors’ healthy aging.
“We offer classes that help with balance, cardio, flexibility and general fitness,” Ms. Herman said. “We have come up with a designation in the Senior Sentinel newsletter, which is sent to all members, that categorizes the classes by which areas they work on.” The categories include strength, cardio, balance and flexibility and mindfulness.
The cardio-drumming class, for example, is for cardio and balance. It also helps with flexibility, because there is a stretching segment, according to Ms. Herman. She said the class includes an educational piece, which discusses why the class is designed as it is.
Arthritis exercise class works on strength, balance and coordination, while chair yoga helps participants with balance and mindfulness. A new class, boxing-kettlebell fusion, works on cardio, balance and flexibility and strength.
Ms. Herman said the goal of the senior center fitness programs is to enable every member to participate and then to make those classes part of their fitness routine.
If someone is new to the fitness class or is returning after the pandemic, Ms. Herman suggests they go right up to the class instructor and explain that they are a beginner or new to the class.
“All of our classes are available to anybody. The instructor can tell you how to modify the class to fit your fitness level, if needed,” she said. “We want to make the class work for you so that you will return again and again.”
For members who are not sure if they will like a class, the senior center offers a chance to try them out first. If it is something they want to continue, they can then pay on a per-class basis, Ms. Herman said. The fitness classes have a per-class fee of $3. However, members who have fitness coverage as part of their health insurance, programs like Silver Sneakers, Renew Active or Silver and Fit, can have those coverages pick up the class fee, she said. “We just need to know if you have fitness coverage, and we can help to make sure it is covered.”
Ms. Herman said, as the year goes on, there will be more outdoor fitness opportunities available at the senior center as well as off-site activities like hiking. She said the fitness staff is always open to offering classes that the seniors are interested in having.
One complementary aspect of attending fitness classes is the opportunity for socialization, she said. “I see every day how people meet in the classes and then see one another at other senior-center events. They always are saying things like, ‘It’s so good to see you.’ It really does provide a feeling of belonging.”
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