The Willow Glen Resident Photograph by Skye Dunlap Fit to be Tried: Olga Scherri dances into her golden years at the 24-Hour-Fitness senior aerobics class in Willow Glen. Seniors sweat, socialize in Willow Glen aerobics class 24-Hour-Fitness offers seniors four levels, from seated stretching to a mild step class By Cecily Barnes It's one o'clock at Willow Glen's 24-Hour Fitness when they show up, dressed in cross-training shoes, sweat pants and headbands, carrying water bottles and towels. They stride onto the hardwood floor and greet one another over the loud music. What happens next, however, is unusual in an aerobics class. The group drags beige fold-out chairs into the center of the room and has a seat. Welcome to Sit and Fit for senior citizens at 24-Hour Fitness. Thirty minutes of low-intensity stretching and weight lifting in chairs is followed by Aerobics 1, a 45-minute low-impact class for more mobile seniors. Senior sculpting class comes next, followed by Aerobics 2, which combines the low impact of Aerobics 1 with a mild step class. All four classes give senior citizens an outlet to make friends, stay fit and dance around to loud music--or not-so-loud, depending on the preference of the group. "It's very rewarding," says aerobics instructor Deborah Rodine. "Some of them have come back from handicaps or worked through arthritis. I have some 80-year-olds in my step class." Senior aerobics classes began at Willow Glen's 24-Hour Fitness location on Parkmoor nearly four years ago when the club was still Family Fitness. Most senior citizens joined through their HMO, Secure Horizons, which paid their way in the program. When the medical plan was footing the bill, the classes were huge. "At times I would have 90 people in the class," Rodine says. In early 1997, however, Secure Horizons discontinued its senior fitness program because not enough seniors were participating nationwide. "Only 1.5 percent of our membership participated," says Secure Horizons spokeswoman Meghan Crowley. "We wanted to look at other programs that more of our members would participate in." As a courtesy to the seniors who had begun with the club, 24-Hour Fitness extended a lifetime rate of $9 a month for seniors who joined the club under Secure Horizons. Although new seniors are encouraged to participate in the aerobics classes, they would have to pay more. "New members who want to get involved here would get the senior discount, at $25 a month and $49 to join," says 24-Hour Fitness manager Son Phan. "But that one-time offer through Secure Horizons [for $9 a month] expired a long time ago." However many of the specially trained instructors that began with Secure Horizons have stayed on to teach the seniors at 24-Hour Fitness. Most instructors went through a special training to learn the specialized needs of senior citizens. "There are contraindicated exercises for seniors, like lunges or walking the long way across the step," Rodine says. "There are a lot of different moves and you have to take into account the brittleness of their bones." Rodine says seniors is her favorite group to teach because they take such pleasure in what they're doing. "All my classes are rewarding but they're the most grateful group," Rodine says. "When I had my car accident, they raised money for me and they came to the hospital. There were all these people at my bedside." Most important, the seniors truly enjoy the chance to get out of their houses and do something active. Outfitted in bright colors and a big smile, 72-year-old Fran Cannon echoes this sentiment as she steps off the treadmill. "We all got to be friends and now we don't want to quit," Cannon twinkles, skipping off the treadmill and wiping her forehead. "We're all retired and we need something to do. You can't just sit home all day." [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, November 4, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.