San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Regular exercise routine linked to health, longevity
»
“The senior community is intent on staying connected, active and very much looking forward to being outside and together again soon.”
Lauren Bactad, director of neighborhood networks for San Francisco Community Living Campaign
Staying fit as you age is important, whether you continue hobbies such as hiking and biking or develop new interests such as tai chi and water aerobics.
Over the years, there have been countless studies and research into the connections between exercise and health and longevity. The bottom line: If you’re an older adult, establishing a regular fitness program has both mental and physical benefits.
Thankfully, there are ample opportunities for older adults in the Bay Area to get active and stay active over time. Specifically, many entities, housing facilities and senior organizations offer a wide variety of classes in a host of different fitness pastimes — from gentle yoga and chair stretching to dance, Qigong, strengthbuilding and even Zumba.
Perhaps one of the best options is the YMCA of the East Bay.
This organization has five locations in the East Bay (Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, Pleasant Hill and Richmond), and offers seniorspecific classes at each of them. Before the COVID19 pandemic, all classes were inperson. Since the pandemic triggered public health shutdowns across the Bay Area, all of the classes have moved into the virtual space. Some of the options available as of press time included: Tai Chi, Zumba Gold, Senior Strength, Pull Up a Chair, Healthy Heart and Gentle Yoga.
Representatives from the organization said these classes are designed to be “lowimpact,” while at the same time provide participants with an opportunity to move their bodies and increase their aerobic function.
Fittingly, the programs were listed on the YMCA’s website under the header, “Strength Knows No Age Limit.”
Another great resource for exercise and fitness classes during the COVID19 pandemic is the San Francisco Community Living Campaign (CLC).
This cityfunded organization works to improve the lives of older adults and people with disabilities,
Roberta Kane, right, and Evelyn Eden enjoy a chair yoga class at Merrill Gardens at Rockridge.
and offered inperson classes. But since COVID19 began, the CLC has doubled down on online exercise classes for older people to take over Zoom, from the privacy of their own homes.
At last check, the program offered fitness classes including Always Active, Dance for Strength and Qigong. Lauren Bactad, director of neighborhood networks for CLC, said the exercise classes are wellloved and attended, receiving accolades for the positive impact they are making in the lives of those who participate.
She noted that Always Active classes regularly
have more than 100 participants per class, while Qigong usually has 50 and Dance for Strength attracts 20. Each class is offered two or three times per week.
“It is important for seniors to exercise for health and mobility benefits,” she said. “The senior community is intent on staying connected, active and very much looking forward to being outside and together again soon.”
Even senior housing facilities are getting in on the fitness game. Across the bay from Sonoma to San Jose, assisted and independent living programs have added exercise programs designed to keep
Details
YMCA of the East Bay: www.ymcaeastbay.org
San Francisco Community Living Campaign: www.sfcommunityliving.org
Merrill Gardens at Rockridge: www.merrill gardens.com/seniorliving/ca/oakland/merrillgardensatrockridge
their older residents healthy and young at heart.
For residents of Merrill Gardens at Rockridge, an assisted living facility in the Oakland Hills, the weekly fitness offering includes group yoga and chairstretching classes three days a week and organized walks on weekends.
While residents turn to yoga for the benefits of gentle movements, Candice Moses, the general manager, said the group walks are much more rigorous. On Saturdays, residents led by a pair of staff members fan out and hike trails in some of the local parks nearby. On Sundays, the group heads out into the neighborhood, tackling more of an urban stroll.
“We feel exercise fosters social connection, helps with endorphins and improves energy for the seniors who live with us,” Moses said. “Regular exercise reduces stress, improves sleeping habits and most important increases balance and flexibility.”
Moses adds that the Merrill Gardens yoga program is “pretty gentle,” and is led by two teachers
from the surrounding neighborhood.
“The goal is flexibility; limited range of motion can make older adults predisposed to falls,” she said.
Both Moses and Bactad agreed that exercise classes for older adults aren’t just about physical health, but also about mental health.
Bactad noted that the routine of getting together with contemporaries to engage in physical activity helps build relationships, which can make older adults feel like part of a greater whole and, as a result, be much happier about their later years.
She added that happiness generally leads to longer, healthier lives — both for older adults themselves and for the family members who love them.
“It’s important seniors stay connected with others to take care of mental, social and emotional wellness as isolation can be hard for the senior population,” Bactad said. “Exercise has so many positive impacts on the lives of [older adults], I’d go so far as to say noone should grow old without it.”