Sitting in a large circle, inside the school gymnasium, a group of seniors begin bouncing a ball, first slowly, then faster.
Under the careful eye of their instructor, the group switches from balls to ribbons, then stretches and other exercises.
A mix of chatter and laughter can be heard as the group obviously enjoys the exercise and the camaraderie.
It’s all part of Mission Lifetime Learning Centre’s Osteo-Fit program, one of many fitness classes offered by the local group.
It’s an opportunity to make friends and stay healthy and participants seem to love it.
“I’ve been coming for more than 10 years,” said Barbara Fisk after the workout on Tuesday morning.
Asked why she keeps coming back, Fisk got right to the point.
“We need the exercise, and its good for our brains as well as our bodies,” she explained.
“It’s also become a sort of social network. We’ve made friends and tell one another our stories,” Fisk added.
Lorraine Bjorklund, who has attended the classes for more than a decade, agrees.
“We’ve made friends we never would have otherwise, because we never would have known all these people. We go for coffee after, it’s the social part.”
Both ladies say they take part in other programs offered at Lifetime Learning.
“We do a lot of other things here too.”
Exercise instructor Alvina Tyler has been teaching since 1982. The past five years she has taught six classes a week in Mission as well as others in Abbotsford.
She said it is important for seniors to stay on the move.
Tyler explained that the class helps seniors to maintain range of motion for their joints and to maintain balance for fall protection.
“You need balance, agility and strength,” she said.
But the program doesn’t just work on the body, it also works on the mind.
“We do cognitive challenges too,” said Tyler, adding that the program was designed by BC Women’s Hospital.
“The exercises were chosen by physiotherapists. It’s a purposeful exercise regiment,”
Tyler also agrees that the social part aspect is “really important” and encourages people to try other programs.
“There’s a lot of really great mind-enriching programs here,” she said.
Lifetime Learning is a Centre for Community Education and Wellness Programs located in Mission. Modeled on the concept of an “ElderCollege” it provides active living and healthy aging programs for adults.
For the past 30 years, Lifetime Learning Centre Society has provided active living and healthy aging opportunities through its community and general interest adult education programming.
It is a non-profit organization, and all monetary donations are tax deductible.
For more information, visit lifetimelearningcentre.org
