"Silver Sneakers" Gives Seniors Stability

One of Gold's Gym's group exercise classes, "Silver Sneakers," focuses on giving seniors balance and strength techniques that are essential for healthy lifestyles.

Senior participants who have Humana health care have the opportunity to attend the gym with full-access to the variety of classes, cardio machines, weights and other services. The class, led by physical trainer and certified Silver Sneakers instructor Dianne Hon, is held two times a week at noon for 45 minutes.

Class participants like Cindi Hummell use small balls and chairs to practice balancing exercises while modern pop music like Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" plays in the background.

"I had a lot of medical problems," said Hummel. "Coming into the gym to exercise has really helped those problems. When you're ill, and you have a choice to be in a chair the rest of your life or get up and move, you move."

According to Hon, the class is regularly attended by 15 - 20 participants.

Light free weight training, stability and balance are the key focusing aspects of the class, as those can become weak points in seniors' physical well-being.

"If something is in your way at home, we want you to be able to get around it," said Hon while demonstrating the proper way to practice balance exercises safely.

One of the more challenging exercises the class does is called the "alphabet" in which each letter of the alphabet is spelled out in the air by feet, one leg at a time.

"We all have boundaries and limitations in this class, so we don't have any competition," said Hon.  

The eldest member of the class, Jim, is 85.

"You don't see many people my age up and walking. I don't want to go walk on the sidewalk," said Jim. "It's much safer here and its clean and fun."

On Wednesdays, Gold's Gym has another class for seniors called "Forever Young" which incorporates more aerobic exercise.

"'Forever Young' came before 'Silver Sneakers'," said Hon. "Six of our regulars here in the class helped to bring in the Sneakers class."

Because "Silver Sneakers" is a part of a larger Humana program, there is a pre-designed exercise plan and instructors have to be trained in the program. But with "Forever Young," the class participants do more cardio activity.

When asked what the biggest reason was for attending "Silver Sneakers," the class responded: "to get up and move."

Gold's Gym recently won "Franchisee of the Year" and "Best Group Fitness Programs" awards at the International Gold's Gym Convention in Las Vegas.