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Home » Exercise Programs » Aging Partners fitness program a family affair – Lincoln Journal Star

Hardly anything can keep Tom Vandenack still, certainly not a battle with cancer.

My motto is: you've got to keep moving to keep moving, said Vandenack, 83, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma two years ago.

Along with his wife Sharon, Vandenack has exercised at Aging Partners Fitness Center three times a week since 2001.

Aging Partners is a city department that offers a variety of programs, like health and fitness classes for the elderly.

Even when he started receiving chemotherapy every four weeks, Vandenack said he kept going back.

My doctor always recommended that I maintain some kind of workout, regardless of how I felt, he said. The week after I started chemo, I didnt feel good, but I wanted to keep going and the workouts definitely made me feel better.

Vandenacks active lifestyle is one that Sharon's sister, Sheila Wall, and her husband Orvis also adopted in 2015.

The four of them exercise at the fitness center around 7 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

We kind of motivate each other, because when you get up in the morning youre not really motivated to work out, Vandenack said.

Sheila Wall, who spent time in the hospital in 2015 with pulmonary complications, was hesitant to exercise at first, but her sister and brother-in-law kept insisting.

They kept telling me, 'Youve got to get moving,' said Wall, who likes to use the treadmill and step machine. They offered to pick me up, and it really has helped.

Wall was eventually able to eliminate her dependence on an oxygen tank, which she had been using for her persistent asthma. The center is also a great place for the elderly to exercise in the cold winter months, Wall said.

In the summertime you can get out and walk, she said. But in the winter you have to find somewhere else and for someone like me who likes to walk, its nice to be able to have somewhere to go.

Her husband Orvis has also seen a marked difference in his joint pain after consistently exercising, according to Wall.

Aging Partners Fitness Center is home to treadmills, free weights and other exercise equipment available for members to use. The center also offers classes in Tai Chi, yoga and dynamic movement.

According to Tracie Foreman, who has worked as a community health educator at the center for 26 years, the fitness program allows people to age more gracefully.

We know that if people do preventative things like exercising, they can pretty much be assured that they can age in a healthier manner, Foreman said. You have to keep exercising, even if you have a disease. You have to find a way around it instead of succumbing to it or giving up.

The center is available to anyone over the age of 60 for a suggested monthly contribution of $10. For those under the age of 60, $15 is the suggested amount.

According to Foreman, the center is a cost-effective alternative to traditional memberships.

We know that not everyone can afford to pay for these services, Foreman said. So its a really good fitness option as opposed to being locked into expensive contracts.

Sharon Vandenack credits the center for her husbands longevity.

It gives him the endurance to fight off all of the challenges of fighting chemo and cancer, she said. If it werent for the fact that he exercises, he might not be where he is today.

After each session, the four of them go out for coffee and breakfast, as well.

Its a social outlet, Tom Vandenack said. Youre getting out of the house, youre dealing with people, and you get the chance to discuss your health and compare with each other.

Vandenack and the others dont see themselves stopping anytime soon.

I have no intention of quitting, he said. Its very easy to become a couch potato but then all of a sudden your aches and pains catch up with you. If you keep moving, youll keep moving and life will be more pleasant.

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Aging Partners fitness program a family affair - Lincoln Journal Star

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Home » Exercise Programs » Aging Partners fitness program a family affair – Lincoln Journal Star