On the pages that pull down from this one, I will tell you about some special gyms for older adults, "Miracles Fitness", "Nifty after Fifty" and "Welcyon". They offer equipment and programs similar to the gym that I ran several years ago. The founder of Miracles Fitness, Dotty Drake RN, was incredibly helpful to me when I was starting my gym and I recently referred a new client to her.
I will add more information as I learn about other special programs.
My Former Gym
My gym is now closed. It just became too expensive to rent space to run this specialized program when real estate costs skyrocketed in the Silicon Valley. But the things we tried to do were important then and now. I see similar approaches in the two chains, Nifty after Fifty and Welcyon I mentioned above. Those similarities are proper equipment, staff trains for and interested in working with older adults, and a friendly setting.
This is how I started my gym:
When I turned 60 I realized that I was getting weaker. I was still working and I was busy. I was learning to play golf; I enjoyed biking around town; and I loved being able to hike on beautiful trails in the Sierras. I also had some new challenges. I needed to lift grandchildren out of car seats and keep up with them in the playground. A 1-year-old weighs about 20 pounds and the wiggly, wet, 3-year-old that you are lifting out of the bathtub weighs close to 30 pounds. At that point, I was not even thinking about how I would help an injured spouse or frail parent.
So I went looking for a fitness center where I could start strength training. I visited several centers near my home. Some were filled with young, very trim people and loud music; others looked like they had not been cleaned in years. I finally found a gym and signed up for an introductory week. A trainer gave me a tour and explained how to use the equipment. But after that first visit, no one ever spoke to me again, not even to nod or say hello when I signed in. I was invisible,
So I decided to start my own fitness center, one that would provide all the things that I was looking for. I wanted a place where older adults, or people who were out-of-shape, or people with moderate disabilities, would feel comfortable. A place where people would feel welcome or at least they would not be ignored. After months of research, my daughter and I opened a fitness center called "The Reconstruction Zone" in Mountain View, California. We offered a variety of programs but emphasized strength training.
We made sure that everyone was greeted when they came through the door. In addition, we introduced our clients to each other so that they would have someone to talk to during their visits and someone who would notice if they were away or had been ill. Although the gym has now been closed for several years, several of our clients still remain friends with people they met at the gym and a small group still meets for lunch a few times a year.
And for a while, we had Mickey, a terrier that I adopted from the local shelter. Mickey became our semi "greeter". Mickey learned quickly which clients liked dogs and which ones wanted to be left alone.
I will discuss some of the special equipment that we bought in the section called Things on this website.
We ran the gym ourselves for several years and then, when we could not keep things going by ourselves, we donated most of the equipment to the local YMCA and worked with the "Y" to continue a senior-friendly program for a few more years.
But I still miss our gym and I cannot find one like it near my home. There are some fitness centers focused on older adults scattered across the United States; some of them are independently owned, some are franchises, and others are part of health centers. In addition, many retirement centers have their own gyms. Over the next few weeks I will review some of these programs, including Miracles, Welcyon, and Nifty after Fifty. If one of these senior-focused centers is near you, I would encourage you give them a visit.
But, let's go back to the question above, "Do you need a special fitness center"? The answer is "No". You can exercise at home, at a senior center, in a park, at a community college, or at almost any fitness center. In the past 5-10 years, fitness centers have recognized the value of reaching out to older adults. Some have added special programs for seniors or beginning exercisers or at least they don't ignore them. Use the information that you learn on this site to help you decide if you've found the right place.
My husband and I are currently members of a large commercial gym (Prime Time) in the San Francisco Bay area. I would prefer to go to a specialized, "senior-friendly" gym but there are none nearby. The reception staff at Prime Time are friendly, the rooms are clean, and their equipment is OK. You may find programs that work for you at your local gym.
And check out the page called Silver Sneakers on this site to see if your health insurance program might pay for a fitness club membership for you.
I will add more information as I learn about other special programs.
My Former Gym
My gym is now closed. It just became too expensive to rent space to run this specialized program when real estate costs skyrocketed in the Silicon Valley. But the things we tried to do were important then and now. I see similar approaches in the two chains, Nifty after Fifty and Welcyon I mentioned above. Those similarities are proper equipment, staff trains for and interested in working with older adults, and a friendly setting.
This is how I started my gym:
When I turned 60 I realized that I was getting weaker. I was still working and I was busy. I was learning to play golf; I enjoyed biking around town; and I loved being able to hike on beautiful trails in the Sierras. I also had some new challenges. I needed to lift grandchildren out of car seats and keep up with them in the playground. A 1-year-old weighs about 20 pounds and the wiggly, wet, 3-year-old that you are lifting out of the bathtub weighs close to 30 pounds. At that point, I was not even thinking about how I would help an injured spouse or frail parent.
So I went looking for a fitness center where I could start strength training. I visited several centers near my home. Some were filled with young, very trim people and loud music; others looked like they had not been cleaned in years. I finally found a gym and signed up for an introductory week. A trainer gave me a tour and explained how to use the equipment. But after that first visit, no one ever spoke to me again, not even to nod or say hello when I signed in. I was invisible,
So I decided to start my own fitness center, one that would provide all the things that I was looking for. I wanted a place where older adults, or people who were out-of-shape, or people with moderate disabilities, would feel comfortable. A place where people would feel welcome or at least they would not be ignored. After months of research, my daughter and I opened a fitness center called "The Reconstruction Zone" in Mountain View, California. We offered a variety of programs but emphasized strength training.
We made sure that everyone was greeted when they came through the door. In addition, we introduced our clients to each other so that they would have someone to talk to during their visits and someone who would notice if they were away or had been ill. Although the gym has now been closed for several years, several of our clients still remain friends with people they met at the gym and a small group still meets for lunch a few times a year.
And for a while, we had Mickey, a terrier that I adopted from the local shelter. Mickey became our semi "greeter". Mickey learned quickly which clients liked dogs and which ones wanted to be left alone.
I will discuss some of the special equipment that we bought in the section called Things on this website.
We ran the gym ourselves for several years and then, when we could not keep things going by ourselves, we donated most of the equipment to the local YMCA and worked with the "Y" to continue a senior-friendly program for a few more years.
But I still miss our gym and I cannot find one like it near my home. There are some fitness centers focused on older adults scattered across the United States; some of them are independently owned, some are franchises, and others are part of health centers. In addition, many retirement centers have their own gyms. Over the next few weeks I will review some of these programs, including Miracles, Welcyon, and Nifty after Fifty. If one of these senior-focused centers is near you, I would encourage you give them a visit.
But, let's go back to the question above, "Do you need a special fitness center"? The answer is "No". You can exercise at home, at a senior center, in a park, at a community college, or at almost any fitness center. In the past 5-10 years, fitness centers have recognized the value of reaching out to older adults. Some have added special programs for seniors or beginning exercisers or at least they don't ignore them. Use the information that you learn on this site to help you decide if you've found the right place.
My husband and I are currently members of a large commercial gym (Prime Time) in the San Francisco Bay area. I would prefer to go to a specialized, "senior-friendly" gym but there are none nearby. The reception staff at Prime Time are friendly, the rooms are clean, and their equipment is OK. You may find programs that work for you at your local gym.
And check out the page called Silver Sneakers on this site to see if your health insurance program might pay for a fitness club membership for you.