by Cori Hilsgen
If you are enjoying attending local fitness and wellness classes, they might have been brought to your area through the Whitney Without Walls outreach program.
Local classes are being brought to the Church of St. Joseph Catholic Church Heritage Hall, David F. Day Apartments in Sartell and Russell Arms Apartments in Sauk Rapids. Classes have also been brought to the Sacred Heart in Sauk Rapids, St. Francis Xavier in Sartell and the Waite Park City Hall.
Some of the classes include EnhanceFitness, Matter of Balance, Tai Chi for Arthritis, Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance, ICAN Prevent Diabetes Lifestyle Coaching program, Living Well with Chronic Conditions, Powerful Tools for Caregivers Workshops and more.
Certified instructors Paula Woischke, Prescott Handley and Melissa Theilman work with the Whitney Without Walls program.
“I love to be able to help seniors stay independent in their homes and make a difference in so many lives,” Woischke said. “It is very inspirational to me to watch seniors of all fitness levels and ages come to class on a regular basis and to see the difference the classes make in their lives. Besides the benefits of fitness, it becomes a social circle of developing friendships that last for years.”
Woischke is the Whitney Senior Center Health and Wellness coordinator who also coordinates the Whitney Without Walls fitness classes.
She was recently awarded the CentraCare Health Foundation 2015 Spirit of Caring Community Hero Award. Church of St. Joseph parish nurse Marjorie Henkemeyer nominated her for the award. Henkemeyer said Woischke had been a key player in bringing both physical fitness and health education classes to St. Joseph.
Classes can be adapted to most fitness levels and they are open to both men and women. A typical fitness class includes a five-minute warm-up to get blood flowing in muscles, a 20-minute aerobics workout to get participants moving or a walking workout to music selected by the class, a five-minute cool-down, a 20-minute strength-training workout with ankle and wrist weights, a 10-minute stretching workout to keep muscles flexible and balance exercises.
These classes have proven to help boost activity levels, elevate moods and increase strength. Regular attendees also often become more limber and improve their balance.
Renee Rau has participated in classes at Heritage Hall in St. Joseph.
“I have been fortunate to participate in EnhanceFitness and Tai Ji Quan on Tuesdays and Thursdays in St. Joseph Heritage Hall,” Rau said. “Never having had great affection for exercise, this program has been a mind-changer. The instructor, Paula Woischke, has a knack for making me feel successful while stretching and moving at my own level. I am grateful to the creative minds at Whitney Senior Center who originated the concept of Whitney Without Walls that enables me to participate in these healthy options here, within my own local community.”
Handley said it is fun for instructors to meet people from different areas and explore new locations through the program. Bringing qualified instructors who are experienced in teaching older adults to convenient locations makes it easier for participants to attend classes.
“I really like teaching for this age group because a lot of older adults have never experienced physical fitness, be it dance, weight lifting or movement classes,” Handley said. “We can help them realize it’s not just for younger people – it’s a lifetime activity.”
Angie Trulson is the Whitney Senior Center program coordinator who coordinates classes.
“Whitney Senior Center has a fantastic facility available to seniors across central Minnesota, but we know in some cases eliminating a 30- to 40-minute round trip drive from an outlying community can make health and fitness classes more accessible for some older adults,” Trulson said. “Third Age University always has something to offer at our center, and recent grant funds have allowed us to expand our reach to even more seniors through Whitney Without Walls.”
The Whitney Without Walls program is provided through the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud, which has been serving adults, ages 55 and older, for 38 years. Staff at the center focus on providing education, enrichment, arts and culture, health and fitness, information and referrals to older adults. They also provide daily noon meals.
Throughout the years, programming has increased at Whitney Senior Center and there has not always been enough space to hold all of the classes. The Whitney Without Walls concept, which has been operating about 10 years, was created by former employee Dave Simonet.
Creating partnerships with area churches, health facilities and other city governments to offer classes off-site, relieves space issues at Whitney Senior Center and offers classes closer to home for many older adults. This also helps relieve transportation issues for some adults who need to travel to the classes.
Aging Service department director Laura Hood is responsible for leading departmental programs and overseeing the day-to-day operations of Whitney Senior Center.
She said people have driven from other areas such as the Twin Cities to attend classes, but the program mainly serves people from the Sartell, St. Joseph, Sauk Rapids, St. Augusta, St. Cloud and Waite Park areas.
Funding for the program comes from grants received from the Central Minnesota Council On Aging and the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Last year, the program also received a grant from the Central Minnesota Community Foundation-Women’s Fund.
Hood said the primary purpose of Whitney Senior Center is to support successful aging in place.
Older adults are considered important members of our cities, and she noted St. Cloud has a longstanding history of supporting programs and services that promote independent living for older adults.
“To have an aging-services department within a city of this size is very forward thinking, particularly as it relates to the large demographic of older adults in our world,” Hood said. “We are much better poised to meet the needs of older adults in our community with the projected ‘Age Wave’ than most communities, thanks to this longstanding philosophy.”
She said it’s always exciting to see individuals actively involved and planning for their quality of life.
“We tend to put a lot of time into that when we are younger, but we do not always plan as well as we could for how this chapter of our lives should be,” Hood said. “It’s so important to be in charge of your life. In our ‘Third Age’ we are stepping back from work and transitioning into leisure, a part-time job, family caregiving, travel and more. We also need to plan for health and independence.”
According to Hood, that includes planning how to maintain health and independence as long as possible. Because older adults have a lot of wisdom, experience and patience to contribute, sharing those things with others by volunteering locally can help enrich lives.
“Learning is lifelong,” Hood said. “Whitney Senior Center brings (it) all together through its programs. Whitney Senior Center is considered one of the top senior centers in the state of Minnesota and a national model,” Hood said. “The Aging Services Department also includes the important volunteer program Retired Senior Volunteer Program or RSVP which pairs older adult talent with community need.”
Whitney Senior Center, which began in 1976, is a regional center serving St. Cloud and surrounding areas. More than 14,400 older adults participate in programs coordinated by Whitney staff.
Most classes offered through the Whitney Senior Center have eight to 25 participants.
“Whitney programming is typically ahead of the curve,” Hood said. “We are one of the first senior centers to schedule Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses. Collaborating with (St. Cloud State University) professor and dean, Dr. Steven Hoover we have been able to offer a full session of this ancient, but yet newly popular, form of managing health and wellness through meditation and being in the present.”
The mindfulness practice is offered in many large corporations to promote better health and productivity, and for older adults it’s a less-invasive approach to health, caregiver stress and overall living well.
For more information call 320-255-7245, or to view the latest course catalog of classes offered through the Whitney Senior Center, visit ci.stcloud.mn.us/whitney.