Senior exercise programs pay long-term dividends in health
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 5 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
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.