Seniors fitness becomes popular at GCCC
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This article was published 10/04/2017 (3433 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
No more broken bones for seniors exercising at Garden City Community Centre.
GCCC started its Seniors/55+ Program in October 2016. The centre started by offering classes twice a week but with its growing popularity, it runs five days a week now. For $10 per month, seniors can participate in zumba, strength and stretch, yoga, tai chi, and line dancing classes.
Connie Mulholland, fitness chairperson at GCCC seniors council said the program doesn’t only bring benefits to the body, but also to the mind. Exercising gives seniors more energy to move, better posture and balance, continued independent living, and reduces the risk of many diseases.
“It’s a good social thing too, especially for people who live by themselves and don’t have any neighbours that they hang with,” Mulholland said. “Everybody has made new friends and had other activities, maybe a bunch of them get together and go for movies or lunch…It gives them a reason to get up in the morning for some of them.”
Mulholland, who lives walking distance from GCCC, said there wasn’t a program like this available to seniors in the area. She said some seniors would exercise at Garden City Shopping Centre, The Forks and the Wellness Institute. However, transportation, to The Forks especially, was a challenge for many seniors.
“It took a long time to get (to The Forks) in bad weather. Sometimes we wouldn’t go because it was blizzardy out whereas here, where it is in the neighbourhood, you’re a couple of blocks away, you can make it,” she explained.
North End resident Clara Schweitzer, one of the 110 participants, has been going to the fitness classes since the beginning and said she’s seen the benefits take effect on her body.
“It mentally keeps you active because all of the time you’re figuring out the steps (of the exercise). You have to get your mind to work with your feet,” Schweitzer said. “Our minds got to keep working otherwise we are going to lose it.”
A while ago, Schweitzer said she fell in her garage, and although she had a “black and blue mark,” as she described it, she didn’t break any bones. She said she used to get back pain while sitting in the car for a long time, and the pain disappeared since she started working out.
“I’m convinced that this is what’s helping me. My bones are stronger,” she said.
For class schedules go to http://www.gardencitycc.com/seniors
For more information, contact Margie Reis, GCCC office manager at officemgr@gardencitycc.com