Since I got Humana Gold medical insurance coverage, I have had the priviledge thru my insurance of having a "Silver Sneakers" free membership at the community center in a nearby town. What a bonus for being "of age" to get the Social Security benefits and Medicare! Silver Sneakers is a program of excercise and recreation for senior citizens and boyohboy…..are there ever a lot of people of retirement age at the community center I frequent every Tuesday and Thursday. The place is full of "seniors" who are either swimming, doing water excercises, pumping iron or using an excercise machine like a treadmill or a stair-stepper or an elliptical trainer…..also the walking track is full of "seniors"; some of them are in the cardio class really working out and some of them go to the "Silver Sneakers" class (I attend that one) where we can sit on chairs and really get a workout. Many others are taking a break in "Mary’s Brews" coffee shop in the community center having delicious brewed coffee, cookies, bars or muffins or homemade soup in a cup or catching up on the news in a daily newspaper.
It is a totally awesome place, the community center. I would be lost without my twice a week visit where I am beginning to know and recognize a lot of new friends.
The folks in the "Silver Sneakers" class really grunt and sweat, working with our hand weights, our plastic balls and our stretchy-bands. All through the class we are "marching" to the tunes of a couple of great music tapes. We sing along when the Beach Boys "California Girls" is on the track!!! I have to bring an old towel to keep my brow from overflowing with perspiration…a good sign that I am working out really well.
Before we head to the Silver Sneakers room, many of us spend an hour in the swimming pool doing water excercises or swimming laps. We get a wonderful workout in the water first and then go on to tackle our Silver Sneakers routines. By 11:30, there are some tired but happy Campers coming down the stairs and visiting the restrooms (we drink a lot of water during the SS class also). Some of us head for home, some of us head for a place to eat lunch together (last week we hit "D.Dahl’s", a favorite "haunt" in the town and I had one of the best hamburgers I have ever tasted!!!) In a couple of weeks we have an opportunity to visit Tamarac Refuge and a greenhouse as a special event during May. Knowing that May 21 is the height of woodtick season, I think I am going to skip the outing to Tamarac….if I want to get woodticks stuck to my body, I can do that pretty near my house if I really try hard….and I do not, since people have contracted Lyme Disease in this general area.
I am so grateful for Silver Sneakers, the community center where we go, and the 3 friends from my town who share driving back and forth to that place. What did I do before I got involved in Silver Sneakers? All of us are talking about buying real "silver sneakers" since they are available where athletic shoes are sold….silver colored shoes, that is,not a brand name. Then we will need some special lights to shine on our silver sneakers as we kick up our heels and toes—–while sitting on our chairs!!!!
