Senior exercise programs pay long-term dividends in health
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 6 months AGO
Regular exercise can stave off aging-related issues as well as keep seniors feeling their best.
COURTESY PHOTO/ANUMPAM MAHAPATRA/UNSPLASH
Not every older American is going to want to play tennis or run a marathon, but keeping active can positively contribute to quality of life, regardless of what a person's life goals are.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | April 3, 2024 1:30 AM
COLUMBIA BASIN — Classics require a little more maintenance. That applies to cars, houses and bodies, according to the National Council on Aging.
“Regular exercise can help older adults stay independent and prevent many health problems that come with age,” the NCOA wrote on its website.
Adults 65 and older should put in at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity such as brisk walking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and at least two days a week of activities that strengthen muscles. That can include lifting weights, but digging in the garden also counts, and so does yoga.
The Moses Lake Senior Center offers exercise classes for seniors at a couple of different levels, said manager Marilyn Stewart.
“On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 to 11 we have a low-impact class that is (to help them) stay in shape,” Stewart said. “And then Monday from 9 to 10 and Tuesday and Thursday from 10 to 11 is more strength, balance and fitness … It’s fort anybody, especially our low-impact class. It’s more of a beginners (class).”
The Moses Lake Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department offers classes in all kinds of exercise, including a couple specifically for seniors: Senior Yin Yoga and Silver Strength.
“(Senior Yin Yoga) is great for those looking for a slower-paced class,” according to the department’s brochure. “While this type of yoga flow is designed for seniors it is also a great balancing flow for those who are young. In yin yoga, you will hold gentle poses for a longer period. This makes for a very relaxing, enjoyable class.”
The Ephrata Senior Center also offers a gentle yoga class, according to its website, and also a class called SAIL, or Stay Active and Independent for Life. That one involves an hour of exercise two to three times a week, sitting or standing, according to the website.
The city of Moses Lake classes are free to holders of a Larson Recreation Center pass, which is $5 a day, $32 per month or $309 for a year, and comes with access to a host of other activities. The Ephrata Senior Center program is free and open to all, although the Moses Lake Senior Center does accept donations.
“You just show up and you put your dollar donation in the box and wait for them to get started,” Stewart said.
Not every older American is going to want to play tennis or run a marathon, but keeping active can positively contribute to quality of life, regardless of what a person's life goals are.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake author’s book, “A Christian Woman Striving to Live Her Faith in a Man-Controlled World,” takes aim at the role to which many churches relegate the female half of their congregations. “It’s to encourage women in the faith,” Linda Curran said. “A lot of churches say, ‘Teach Sunday school, do this, do that, but don’t (evangelize.)’" In her book, Curran recounts a time when she moved to a new community and joined a church there. She was surprised to learn that, as a new female member, she had been automatically assigned church cleaning duties. When she questioned it, she wrote, she was met with condescension and her objections were brushed aside. In other churches, she said, women who were capable of teaching were relegated to “women’s ministry.”