Submitted by SAIL Senior Fitness
Grays Harbor SAIL senior living class taught by Daniela Werner celebrated a 10-year anniversary this May. In 2007 with a grant through Grays Harbor Community Hospital and in conjunction with The Olympic Area Agency on Aging, the program made its debut in Grays Harbor.
Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) is a strength, balance and fitness program for older adults. Performing exercises that improve strength, balance, and fitness are the single most important activity that adults can do to stay active and reduce their chance of falling. The entire curriculum of activities in the SAIL Program can help improve strength and balance if done regularly. SAIL is usually offered 2-3 times a week in a one-hour class. SAIL exercises can be done standing or sitting and are adaptable for all different ages and stages.
Werner began teaching at The Aberdeen Museum in May 2010 after reading an ad in the Daily World for fitness instructors that may want to certify in the program. After researching the program and learning the regression of quality of life our older adults after taking a fall, it became a program she wanted to be a part of. Falls in older adults are the leading cause of injury, hospitalizations, and fatalities in the United States.
The class begins with an assessment to develop a mobility, strength, and flexibility. Classes taught by Werner are offered twice a week at the Aberdeen Museum of History located at 111 E 3rd Street in Aberdeen on Wednesday and Fridays at 10 am and in Ocean Shores at Brookdale Senior Living at 1020 Catala Ave SE on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 am. The first class is free! Classes range from $2-$4 dollars depending on location, and punch cards are available for convenience.
Class participants are very social and engaged in the program. One Aberdeen participant Shirley has been with the class for the entire 10 years. She drives in several days a month for class, planning her visits and errands around the trip to Aberdeen. Another long-time class participant Catherine, shared, “the commitment I feel has motivated me to attend class even on days when my body says, “stays in bed”.
The class follows a curriculum developed to incorporate aerobic activity, strength, balance, and mobility. It is truly a class for everyone, with adaptations available for specific fitness abilities.
Werner and the class are celebrating 10 years in Grays Harbor and look forward too many more years to come, a movement at a time, an hour twice a week, and a lot of laughs along the way.
For more information email Daniela Werner at: onebusibee@live.com
