SilverSneakers add to active lifestyle (Autumn 2009)

Pat Hagemeier of Russellville started life as a self-proclaimed klutz, but her love of exercise has helped her overcome numerous obstacles.

When her children were small, she enrolled in an exercise class at the YWCA and was immediately hooked. "I bought a Good Housekeeping 78 rpm exercise record to use when I couldn’t find a class to take and faithfully worked out to it. I also got a 45 rpm record called "Chicken Fat," and my children would join me in marching, doing jumping jacks and touching toes during cooped-up winter days."

Later, as a school counselor, she and other teachers would exercise to a video in the library at the end of the day and then walk the track. She said her children would often join her on the walk to share their day. "It was a wonderful time to talk and to transition."

About 17 years ago, St. Mary’s Wellness Fitness Center opened in Russellville, and Pat and her husband, Dean, began taking advantage of all the classes and facilities. "I did weight lifting, cardio and stretch classes and loved the way I felt." Two years ago, the center added the SilverSneakers® Program, and Pat said that with those added classes she is at the facility four or five times a week.

"They’re fantastic," Pat said of the staff at St. Mary’s Wellness Fitness Center, adding that the SilverSneakers classes are so popular, "there’s always a room full" of 40 or more people. And the classes aren’t easy, even for a seasoned exerciser like Pat. "They push you a bit and challenge you to increase your endurance. You leave feeling really good."

Pat and Dean have made the fitness center a part of their daily routine, even though they often don’t go at the same times. Pat said she likes to go early in the day for the classes, while Dean often goes later in the day to use the whirlpool and other facilities. She said the fitness center has brought them even closer together, because they both see their friends and can share the latest news when they get back together for meals.

Dean, 76, is an avid bicycle rider who has participated three times in the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, a seven-day bicycle ride. According to the Des Moines Register, the ride is the longest, largest and oldest touring bicycle ride in the world.