Lebanon
They chat among themselves in an activity room at Harvest Hill Assisted Living in Lebanon, waiting for group exercise fitness instructor Sue Showalter to begin the weekly class.
The first exercise is shoulder rolls, a gentle activity. “Get the weekend out of those shoulders,” Showalter says to chuckles. The stretches continue as the music plays.
“I don’t hear any snapping or popping,” she chides to more laughter.
The weekly 45-minute class is lighthearted and every one of the 13 participants, the majority in their 80s, tailors the exercises to fit the needs of their bodies. The size of the weights vary for each person.
“It’s not a one size fits all exercise prescription,” Showalter, a New London resident, said. “The hope is that people will gradually increase their weight amount.”
Showalter, 66, intersperses the exercises with conversation and encouragement. The music continues throughout the class.
“A lot of the people really like that music, and when they join the class they’re always surprised ‘Oh you’re playing our music,’” Showalter said in a phone interview a few days after the class. It’s just one of the many things she does to keep people comfortable.
“My biggest challenge is to get people in the door and get them to stick with it,” Showalter said. “Once we get them hooked, then they’re hooked.”
And they keep coming back. In the more than 16 years that Showalter has been teaching at Harvest Hill, she’s developed relationships with dozens of residents, really getting to know each person who participates in the class and what their fitness goals are. Those include an increased range of motion and improved balance.
“They have these preconceived myths in their minds and sometimes these myths just need to be busted,” Showalter said. Some have never exercised before, let alone take part in an exercise class.
But Showalter educates them about the benefits and how exercising can help in their day-to-day life, from preventing falls to improving posture, “so that they can take control of their vitality, their vigor,” she said, which in turn can build confidence.
Laurina Vanderaa has been attending exercise classes in the four years she’s been living at Harvest Hill and loves taking classes with Showalter.
“She’s always concerned if you have aches and pains,” Vanderaa said.
Showalter also tries to reach residents who don’t attend class through her “Fit Tips” program.
“Fit Tips are my attempt at targeting residents who know they should be ‘doing’ something but just don’t know what they should do nor how to do it and for whatever reason choose not to attend the exercise classes,” she said in an email. Residents can pick up the handouts to keep in their apartments.
Exercise is “very important for them,” said Carla Venti, activities director at Harvest Hill. “We want to keep people moving.”
With Showalter as their instructor, it’s clear that they are and will continue to do so.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
