May 10, 2022 —To help residents meet their fitness goals, Kendal at Lexington (KaLex) fitness experts Victoria Forman and Kristen McCabe offer the Senior Fitness Test in the Fitness Center. These tests include flexibility, strength, endurance, agility, and balance. Scores are compared by age groups to give the resident information about their fitness status. Remember those tortuous president’s physical fitness tests from elementary school?? Well, this is NOTHING like them! Kristen and Victoria make the process fun and painless, providing residents with one-on-one 20-minute sessions, conducted in private, and no terrible gym uniforms are required!
Many Scores Improved
Annual testing had been cancelled due to COVID in 2020 and 2021, like so many other things. In pre-COVID years around 30 or so residential living residents participated, but this year 80 folks decided to take the plunge! “Many residents were interested to see if their fitness levels had declined during COVID, and many new residents wanted to be tested to establish a baseline,” said Kristen. She happily reports that most residents did NOT decline during COVID, and some scores actually improved because the resident had been walking more.
KaLex Fitness Center is a Great Asset
The availability of the fitness center at KaLex, along with the expertise of the staff, is a great asset for Kendal residents. This testing, only one of the opportunities there, provides each participant a measure of their fitness levels compared to others in their age group. Residents Al Carlsson and Nancy Epley provide great examples of just how beneficial the fitness center is – both have become fitness “superstars” since some of their test scores were off the charts! Nancy started doing on-line classes in her apartment during the pandemic and found it to be so convenient that she has continued even after in-person classes have resumed. Her fitness level in endurance is equal to that of a 65-year-old . . . not too bad for one of our newest centenarians! Al’s scores in all categories were all exceptional, but because he is 95, his high scores weren’t listed as an option. (There is a standing joke in the weight room that, if the weights on the machines are set too high, “Al must have been here.”)
After participating in the testing, Sycamore Lane cottage resident Bob Kramer commented, “At the time of the testing I had been going to the Fitness/Weight room just about every day for six months and walking about two miles every day (weather permitting) for my legs. I was anxious to get a baseline on my fitness to see where I needed to improve.”
Help Without Judgement
“Victoria and Kristen,” he said, “gave helpful hints without any judgments as they guided the residents through the routines. Patience is one of their best virtues. The process opened up some new areas for me that I could be doing easily at home – like stretching, squats, marching, etc. It gave me more discipline and fullness to my fitness program. BTW, because of the leg exercises at home – I have cut 4 minutes off my walking time around the campus!!! This is a great asset to have for the residents – regardless of what physical restrictions anyone may have.”
The key to staying fit, according to Kristen and Victoria, is STAYING ACTIVE AND STAYING CONSISTENT. More information about the fitness center may be found at Wellness Center – Kendal at Lexington, and if you would like to view the monthly fitness calendar, join our waitlist!
