‘It’s important to keep them as healthy as possible’

Keep Well Antigonish focuses on needs of people 55 and older

Keep Well Antigonish has officially opened registration for their fall classes.

The program, which started in 2018, is modelled after North Shore Keep Well, which is a similar program in northwest Vancouver.

“The concern was about the growing older population we have in our community and how to keep them healthy and connected to the community,” said president Ann Bigelow. “We figured that having an exercise program that is geared towards seniors that also had a mental health focus was a good idea.”

The goal of the Keep Well Antigonish Exercise and Wellness Program is to keep those 55 and older healthy, fit and engaged in the community.

“We have an aging population and I think Nova Scotia has the highest population of people over 65 and those numbers are going up,” said Bigelow.

“It’s important to keep them as healthy as possible,” continued Bigelow. “We want to make sure seniors have appropriate exercise run by trained instructors and that they have access with their peers, so they aren’t trying to compete with someone who’s 25.”

The General Fitness Class focuses on strength, flexibility and balance while Nia is a combination of yoga, dance and martial arts movements but is less strenuous than general fitness.

Chair yoga helps improve balance and stability by strengthening the muscles that keep you upright.

The three Exercise and Wellness sessions are split into three per year with each running from September to December, January to March, and April to June.

PRE-COVID Keep Well Antigonish Exercise and Wellness Program involved free weekly two-hour sessions on Friday mornings at the Antigonish Library with one hour of either general fitness or chair-yoga, and then social time with snacks, and then a wellness program that varied weekly, such as a talk by a nutritionist or mindfulness activities.

During pandemic restrictions general fitness, Nia, and chair yoga were online. There were also weekly Wellness Newsletters about events, activities and programs in the community.

Now that many COVID19 restrictions have been removed, classes are now a hybrid model and Keep Well Antigonish will continue to do Zoom presentations for the community from organizations about various topics.

To see class times and register, check the Keep Well Antigonish website.

A. BIGELOW Participants enjoy many activities put on by the Keep Well Antigonish Society. Fall classes are offering many opportunities for ages 55 and older in the community.