Three times a week Ming Fisher goes through the same routine: a 45-minute water-aerobic workout and 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. On two other days per week she adds another 45 minutes of exercise, to work on her balance.

Not bad for an 80-year-old.

“I don’t want to be Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Fisher says. “But I want to stay limber and active and be able to stretch and move.
“Whatever I’ve got, I’d like to be able to keep.”

A resident of First Community Village, a Columbus retirement community, Fisher takes part in an exercise and wellness program called SeniorFITness. The program is owned by Alliance Rehab, a company based in Chicago that partners with facilities such as First Community.

The “FIT” in the program’s name stands for Functionally Integrated Training, meaning that the exercises and equipment are designed to strengthen muscle groups required to perform activities of daily living, including those needed for proper balance and posture.

All First Community residents are automatically enrolled into the fitness program and pay for the service through their monthly rent. The 30-acre campus near the city of Upper Arlington offers independent living, assisted living and Alzheimer’s care residences. Of the 170 residents who are eligible for the program, 120 participate, says Michelle Croker, fitness director at First Community and senior fitness specialist with SeniorFITness.

“The older you get, the more sedentary your life gets,” Croker said. “If you don’t actively work on your muscle strength every decade, it decreases by four percent.”

Croker works one-on-one with residents to create fitness routines. After a health assessment, she and the resident meet to discuss goals. “Is there something that you used to be able to do that you can’t do now?” Croker asks.

One resident, for example, could no longer bend over and touch his feet and had trouble putting his shoes on. Croker suggested that he join a “Sit and Reach” class designed to increase flexibility in the lower back and hamstrings. He joined the class and regularly practiced stretching his muscles. Eventually, he regained the ability to touch his feet and put his shoes on.

Another First Community resident wanted to increase his endurance and rely less on his wheelchair. His goal was to walk from his apartment to his car. He also wanted to be able to get out of his car and walk into a restaurant. Croker worked with him on strengthening his leg muscles and increasing his endurance by doing cardio exercises. He now goes out to dinner every Thursday night with his son.

 

First Community offers a fitness room with exercise equipment specifically selected for its residents, who range in age from early 60s to 103. There are six Nautilus machines, for instance, and Louis Armstrong bellows from the speakers instead of loud, modern music as in many fitness centers. Residents walk on treadmills and pedal on recumbent bikes.

There’s also an exercise classroom with buoyant floor that’s easy on joints. Exercises are geared to accommodate age- and disease-related changes in strength, flexibility, balance and mobility. First Community has a heated pool, which is beneficial for residents with osteoporosis, arthritis and back problems.

Fisher, who has osteoporosis, says the exercise classes make her feel full of verve. She especially likes the low-impact Aqua Exercise class, held three days a week. She regularly joins about 10 other residents in the pool for jogging, jumping jacks and other cardiovascular and balance exercises.

Fisher continues with “land” exercises in a class called In Your Seat, On Your Feet. The class blends seated exercises with standing ones to work the joints and cardiovascular system. Fisher says her goal is to remain flexible as she bends down and easily touches her toes.

“Other people aren’t as flexible, and that’s OK, we’re all different,” Fisher said. “But I would like to be able to keep this a little longer. This certainly helps me do that. If you sit around and do nothing, pretty soon you lose it.”