Unlike a 24-Hour Fitness Center or a Gold's Gym, the music in the fitness room is geared toward the 50-plus crowd that uses it. Instead of Top 40 or hard rock, the sounds of Glenn Miller, Johnny Mathis and Mozart flow from the CD player.

The music mix is just one way the volunteers who run the fitness room cater to seniors who want to stay in shape.

"It's a comfortable, supportive environment to work out in," says Patricia Lord, the senior center's recreation supervisor. "It's not intimidating."

The fitness room has been in operation since the senior center opened in September 2003. On average, about 40 people per day come in to work out. The fitness room is also used for classes such as body sculpting and personalized fitness for seniors.

Senior center members who use the fitness room must first get their physician's okay, but that doesn't stop people with preexisting conditions from working out.

"We have people ride in on people-movers and walk in with canes," says Robert Harms, who has volunteered in the fitness room since it opened. "A double-amputee comes in to do upper-body exercises."

Harms, 73, works out on the center's recumbent bike and back stretcher on his "off-shift" days. He's also taking a nutrition class at the senior center and, between the two, has lost five pounds in six months. He says his cholesterol has dropped enough that his doctor has reduced his medication. Harms says his doctor attributes much of that success to the exercise.

Kirk Knopf, a Ph.D. in senior fitness, trained Harms and other fitness room volunteers to help seniors develop a workout program that will keep them fit without aggravating any physical ailments.

"We're not supposed to be personal trainers," volunteer Michael Fenner says, "but if people come in who have never worked out before and have a disability, we can work with them and basically give them a program to do."

"The volunteers are wonderful," says Roberta Bernstein, who started working in the fitness room to firm up after losing weight. "The room has an excellent supply of machines, although another bicycle would be helpful, since the two there are very popular. After four months, I am feeling quite fit."

The city of Sunnyvale has had to modify some of the equipment it originally purchased for the fitness room to accommodate senior center members.

"Some people couldn't lift three-pound dumbbells, so we got one-pound dumbbells," Harms says, adding that it's not about how much weight seniors lift but how many times they lift it.

"Repetition is more important than resistance," he explains.

The fitness room was originally open weekdays until 4 p.m., but as its popularity increased, so did its hours. Seniors who still have day jobs can come in on Tuesday and Thursday evenings or on Saturday.

Harms says many senior center members have become fitness center regulars and are indeed comfortable in the space.

"They bring their own CDs to play," he adds.

"Nothing like George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Benny Goodman to take the sting out of exercising," Bernstein says.

The fitness center is located in the Aspen Room of the Sunnyvale Senior Center, 550 E. Remington Drive. Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:15a.m.-4 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 9:15 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

To volunteer at the fitness center, call Kay Whitney at 408.730.7624.