Exercise is well known to be beneficial to all parts of the body. It is a common lesson to teach kids about the importance of exercise as it pertains to growth.
However, it is much less common to educate seniors about the importance of exercise and how it pertains to maintained health. Locally, there is one such place that aims to provide a comfortable environment that fosters healthy workout routines for those with less mobility.
Fitness isn’t just a lifestyle for the young. Being active is not a term to be used only for getting kids off of their personal devices. Working out doesn’t always mean vigorous, heart pumping activity. Exercise is more than that. When it comes to activity for the matured body, gradual intensity levels should be taken. As the body ages, arterial walls begin to stiffen and thicken due to lessening collagen levels and elastin. This means that it becomes more difficult for blood cells to circulate. If strenuous exercise is undertaken at this time, the increased blood flow against these stiffened walls can cause light-headedness and shortness of breath. Therefore, more caution needs to be used; light activity should be a starting point.
Additionally, cognitive function decreases with age and more so with a sedentary lifestyle. As written in an article by M.D. Marisa Wan from the University of British Columbia, approximately 15% of Canadians older than age 65 live with cognitive impairment, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Projections for 2038 suggest that one new case of dementia will be diagnosed every 2 minutes. Exercise has been proven to improve cognitive function in multiple studies.
This is due to cell growth. Physical activity enhances the body’s natural cell growth. When new cells are created in the brain, more memories can be stored, thus improving cognitive function.
Lorna Tressel, a local senior, has taken full advantage of this knowledge to experience the benefits of exercise. Tressel has been a member of the Pumphouse Athletic Club (PAC) since its opening three years ago.
“I’ve always struggled with my weight. I decided I needed to do something; I wanted to feel comfortable in my own body again.”
There is a “Ladies-Only” room aside from the main gym area where women who feel uncomfortable or intimidated by the larger, heavier equipment can go to exercise. The equipment in this room is set hydraulically, so there is no need to switch pins or load weights; the resistance is easily changeable. It is also set on a circuit, so for those new to exercise routines, a routine is already created for them. The Ladies-Only room has been a popular choice among the mature ladies, offering not only easier exercise, but a small circle of friends.
“I enjoy the feeling of working out, but I also enjoy being with the people I’ve met here. We celebrate birthdays, go out for coffee and motivate each other. It’s a small community here,” Tressel noted.
Birthday cards can be seen lining the shelf, and a cardboard cut-out of Dwayne Johnson can be seen in the corner with motivational messages to encourage hard work.
Those that are interested in trying out the room are encouraged to just walk in and ask for a tour. PAC is located at 27 B 2nd Ave N.
The mixture of exercise and social interaction has proven to be beneficial to all the senior attendees at the PAC, as many feel empowered and energized; Trussel is one of them. Proper exercise has led her to feel the benefits of cognitive function and improved circulation. Now age is just a number.
