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Jul 9

Plethora of activities offered for seniors in Garden City – The Garden City Telegram

Exercise Programs Comments Off on Plethora of activities offered for seniors in Garden City – The Garden City Telegram

At 61 years old, retirement hasnt even crossed Darlene Holmes mind yet.

The fitness instructor at the Garden City Recreation Commission, and grandmother of six and great-grandmother of one, knows retirement will come one day, but doesnt see it on the horizon anytime soon.

I just dont see it. I dont feel it either, Holmes said. People come in here and say they're retired, but theyre still working out.

When Holmes isnt personal training at Core Fitness, shes teaching her Fit after 50 class at the GCRC, which meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Its designed for people older than 50 with a wide range of fitness levels. It is versatile, with a variety of activities that include aerobics, strength training, yoga, dancing and more.

I modify the class to fit everybodys needs, Holmes said. We do therapeutic exercises of different elements because we have women that are each different. We have women that have canes, have hip and different joint problems and we have people that dont have problems. Some of them just want to stay mobile and motivated."

Holmes said if someone were to walk into the Fit after 50 class, they would see participants from age 50 on up to their 80s.

Theyll be surprised that these ladies do half the stuff that I teach them to do, she said. Some of them are even surprised at themselves for doing it because youre not aware of what you can actually do until you try it. Now that they got it, they have fun doing it, and I have fun putting it together."

Fit After 50 isnt a class where everyone is worried about their weight or wants to lose weight, Holmes said, but a class where a lot of women who are retired or just have the time get out and meet other women who are in the same situation.

Since Ive been doing this class, Ive made a lot of friends with these ladies. These ladies are so driven, Holmes said. I watch 50-plus (aged) women come in here every day, and everybodys trying to feel good, not to feel young, but to keep moving. You are your body and when your body is moving, you feel great about it.

Anna Voss, GCRC fitness director, said she thinks its important to promote health in the older age group, and the Fit After 50 class does just that.

It keeps them moving and allows them to get out and socialize, Voss said.

Holmes said she enjoys teaching the class because its not something the doctor ordered. It wasnt until she was 53 that she began her fitness journey. Before that, she was on a handful of medications for health issues, and now shes on none. Since then, shes also lost 130 pounds.

lll be 62 Im not going to say what I feel like but I feel good because I work out every day, Holmes said, adding that is why retirement isnt coming anytime soon for her.

Holmes said her three sons and grandchildren will question when she will stop her fitness routine, noting theyll say stuff like, Whens this going to stop?

They expect me to sit down and settle down and be that old grandma. I am in here, Holmes said as she pointed to her head. But physically, I feel great.

Delores Cruz, 80, is one of the oldest participants in the Fit after 50 class. She is also the first one to show up for each session she attends.

What I love about this class is the socializing part, Cruz said. An 80-year-old woman a lot of the time sits at home doing nothing. Now, Ive found out that I can do so many more things. Now, I feel like I have more strength in my body to do some of the things I used to do or even more. I can really keep up with theses young ladies.

There are some days Cruz doesnt feel like coming, but once she gets there and starts moving around, it makes her whole day, she said.

I love the class. All the ladies are so friendly, but most of all, Darlene is such an inspiration to me because she keeps us going, Cruz said.

Jackie Stoy, 59, another participant in the class, said she was just sitting at home doing nothing and gaining weight and decided she needed to do something about it. She joined the class almost a year ago.

Physically, I can move better than I have before. I had a lot of issues with getting around, and its helped me with that, Stoy said, adding that shes lost 30 pounds since joining the class.

Anna Velev, 79, joined because she knew she needed to stay active at her age, she said.

I just want to stay on my feet. I had a hip surgery that didnt work, and I was a two-mile-a-day walker. Now, I cant do that. I do this to keep the rest of my body working, she said. Its fun, Ive made new friends, and it gives me another interest to get out of my house because Im a widow. The younger ones can do a lot more than I can, but they dont make me feel old.

Those interested in the class can call the GCRC at (620) 276-1200 for more information.

Other programs

While the Fit after 50 class is specifically targeted for older participants, there are other fitness programs at the GCRC that seniors can participate in, according to GCRC fitness director Anna Voss.

Zumba is one of the classes that is popular for all ages, though there are several senior-aged participants in it, Voss said.

We open open our classes to anyone that is wanting to take them without an age cap on there, Voss said.

Those interested in signing up for any of the GCRC programs can contact the Rec at (620) 276-1200 or can stop at the facility at 310 N 6th St., or at Core Fitness at 941 Lareu St.

Like the GCRC, the Garden City Family YMCA offers various classes that seniors are welcomed to join, but one class that is more targeted toward seniors is an enhanced fitness class.

Its a class to help people with arthritis to help ease the pain of it through evidence-based research, said Steven Lynch, healthy living director at the YMCA. Its something we offer here at the YMCA and at the senior center.

The class meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. at the YMCA, and at 2 p.m. at the Senior Center of Finney County.

We also have water aerobics classes, which a lot of older people go to. Thats just much easier in their joints knees, ankles, everything. The water supports most of their weight, Lynch said.

At the senior center, there are also various fitness programs to keep visitors active, director Hillary Whitely said, adding that there are at two least exercise classes every Monday through Friday.

There are exercises where participants can sit down, but are still moving and being active, Whitely said.

More than just fitness

Beyond fitness, the senior center offers various activities throughout the week.

I think its really neat because when I first started, I didnt realize how many activities they had going on, Whiteley said. Theres always something going on here.

Everyday, there are bridge, pinochle, pitch, and Skipbo games. There is also a pool room, Whitelely said.

Every Wednesday night there is a dance with a live band or deejay at the senior center, which typically sees up to 50 participants.

Starting later this month, St. Catherine Hospital will offer a Lunch and Learn program at the senior center, where a speaker from the hospital will speak about a topic for 20 to 30 minutes. Following the speaker, lunch will be served.

Whiteley said she believes the senior center is a huge service to the community, and that a lot of people get the misconception that people come to the senior center to find something to do, when in reality, they go to the senior center because they know what they want to do.

One program that recently has been offered is Lee Richardson Zoos senior program. In partnership with the Finney County Senior Center, the program is free with no registration required, and meets at the zoo the first Wednesday of every month, according to zoo education specialist Emily Sexson.

The program includes a short educational presentation on different topics related to the zoo. After the lesson, there is a brief tour to see what was talked about in the classroom setting.

Its just an opportunity for seniors in the community to get together, come down to the zoo and get a little walking in, as well, Sexson said. Seniors make up a huge part of our community, and lot of people that come to the zoo are typically children or families with young children, and we want to remind our senior citizens that the zoo is for them, too."

Sexson added that attendance so far has varied, but those who have attended have been receptive to the program.

Everyone that has attended seems to be pretty happy about it, she said.

The next program session is scheduled for Aug. 2, with a Chow Time theme. Participants will learn about diets for animals at the zoo. Sexson said participants will learn what it takes to feed the animals, what they eat, who feeds them, along with a tour of the commissary area to see diets prepared.

No registration is necessary, and those interested in participating can meet in the Finnup Center lobby, 312 Finnup Drive, every first Wednesday of the month.

For more information on the program, call (620) 276-1250.

Whitely said she thinks it is important to keep senior citizens active, and added that senior citizens are an underserved population.

Theyre not in that stage in their life where they just sit at home and watch TV. They want to do things, she said. The more we can keep them active and doing things, the more their quality of life will improve.

Contact Josh Harbour at jharbour@gctelegram.com

Original post:
Plethora of activities offered for seniors in Garden City - The Garden City Telegram

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