Working with weights in the Howell Senior Center’s Senior Strength & Stretch class led by instructor Laura Chapman are, near to far, Pat Perosak, Margot Barker, Kim Davidson and Joan Lelli. The drop-in class meets at 11:45 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.(Photo: GILLIS BENEDICT/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS)
It was a bit awkward at first for Jim Neikart.
When the 73-year-old local resident signed up for the Senior Strength & Stretch course at the Howell Senior Center, he quickly found he was the only male in the class.
“I kind of stick out, but I’ve kind of gotten used to kind of ignoring it,” Neikart said with a laugh.
Neikart was once a jogger, but as he got older he found that the activity was getting more difficult to do and taking a harder toll on his body; however, he still wanted to be able to stretch out and receive a good workout.
Senior Strength & Stretch gives him just that, and Neikart said more guys need to know about the benefits they can receive from the program.
“When I get done, I’m sweating,” he said. “It really does work you out.”
The Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority brought the exercise program to the Howell Senior Center over the summer. It runs from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays at the Paul Bennett Recreation Center, 925 W. Grand River Ave. in Howell. Cost for each session is $2 for senior center members and $3 for others.
“I think it’s something that’s really important for seniors,” said Sue Koivula, senior coordinator at the parks and recreation authority. “We want to keep them healthy, and this is a great start.”
The class joins other health and fitness programs offered at the senior center such as tai chi and yoga. Plus, a zumba class will begin in January, Koivula said. Yet Senior Strength & Stretch is something that works for everyone, she added.
“We have seniors who are very elderly and some who aren’t,” Koivula said. “It works for all of them.
“It’s designed for all ages and capabilities,” she added.
At 90, Pat Perosak is the “senior” senior in the class.
“It keeps me moving,” she said. “I have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), so I have to keep moving and breathing.
“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” she added with a laugh.
Perosak said she’s always exercised to help herself stay healthy, but she added that she particularly enjoys Senior Strength & Stretch because of class instructor Laura Chapman.
“We got a good one,” she said.
Chapman, a certified fitness and yoga instructor, said she based Senior Strength & Stretch on evidence-based fitness programs for older adults such as EnhanceFitness, which was developed by the University of Washington, and the SilverSneakers Fitness Program.
“It’s basically a beginner’s program,” Chapman said. “I keep the moves very simple so people can follow it very clearly. My No. 1 concern is safety. I don’t want them falling over, but I want them to be able to move their bodies.”
The workout can be done from a standing position or while sitting in a chair, depending on the comfort level of each participant. The class uses resistance bands, exercise balls and light weights.
The class starts off with a five-minute warm up followed by 20 minutes of cardio exercises and a five-minute cool down. Then Chapman directs the class in four upper-body exercises and six lower-body exercises. The exercises include such things as front-arm extensions, bicep curls, hamstring curls, leg extensions, and toe and heel raises.
“It’s about flexibility. It’s about mobility. It’s about stability,” Chapman said. “We work a lot with balance. As we get older, we start to lose that balance ability. The last thing you want to do is fall down and break a hip.”
About a dozen participants attend each class, and Chapman said the class has been well received and many of her students told her it’s a lot like physical therapy.
“I get a lot of positive feedback. ‘I couldn’t do this before, but now I can do that.’ ‘I had pain in my shoulder, and now I don’t have that anymore,’ ” she said. “It’s very rewarding.”
However, the biggest rewards are those realized by those taking Senior Strength & Stretch. Chapman said her aim as an instructor is not to wipe out her students.
She wants them to feel energized when the class wraps up for the day.
According to her students, they do feel energized and walk away with a sense of accomplishment.
Neikart said he volunteers at Gleaners Community Food Bank, and part of that work includes loading trucks.
What he does at Senior Strength & Stretch makes him more flexible to do what he does at Gleaners.
“If you do it right …” Neikart said.
“It’s work,” Perosak finished.
AT A GLANCE
Area seniors can help themselves stay fit by attending the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority’s Senior Strength & Stretch class. The drop-in class meets from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays at the Paul Bennett Recreation Center, 925 W. Grand River Ave. in Howell. The class uses resistance bands, exercise balls and light weights in a series of exercises designed for all fitness levels. Cost is $2 for members; $3 for others per class. Call 517-546-0693, ext. 0; or visit http://www.howellrecreation.org for more information.
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