Seminar Gives Fitness Training for Seniors

By BRIAN D. SABIN
Beach & Bay Press

Exercise is important as people grow older, but many seniors are intimidated by gyms and their large crowds of bulky lifters and people with six-pack abs. Other folks are hard pressed to find enough time to fit a workout in their busy schedules.

Addie's Studio will show older people how to stay fit without spending countless hours sweating away in a gym on Wednesday, May 26.

Addies's Studio, 4440 Ingraham St., is bringing the 11th Annual National Senior Health and Fitness Day program to Pacific Beach. The event is part of an effort to improve senior fitness that involves more than 1500 companies in all 50 states.

The day will be filled with educational seminars showing ways you can get in shape in the comfort of your own home. Admission is free, and seniors of all levels of fitness are welcome to attend.

"This is a great opportunity for seniors who don't currently exercise to come out and learn," said Tyler Merrill, trainer and co-owner of Addie's Studio.

The day's three classes teach simple ways to improve strength, fitness and cardiovascular endurance through everyday activities and even games. Each topic begins with a short group discussion. The staff then guides attendees through learn-by-doing activities that will put their new knowledge to work.  

'You don't feel like you're exercising
because you're enjoying yourself'

— Tyler Merrill

Merrill said that the "Strength for Active Daily Living" seminar will erase the misconception that you have to pump iron to build strength. The class demonstrates how anyone can get stronger through practical activities like putting away groceries or mowing the lawn.

Another program focuses on making cardiovascular exercise fun. "Beach Ball Basic Aerobics" shows how to get a good workout playing catch with an ordinary beach ball.

"You don't feel like you're exercising because you're enjoying yourself," Merrill said.

All the classes will be taught by Addie's certified personal trainers, who all have four-year degrees from accredited universities. Both Merrill and trainer Ty Roberts spent four years working with seniors in the UCSD Department of Orthopedics prior to working at Addie's.

Addie's Studio specializes in senior fitness and nutrition programs. Trainers work one-on-one with every client, whose average age is 70, guiding them through personalized workout routines tailored specifically to their wants and needs.

National Senior Health and Fitness Day is a community service event. There's no obligation to join Addie's Studio or any other gym afterward. Seniors attending will be rewarded with free gift bags and snacks just for coming out.

And don't worry about not having any spandex. Merrill recommends bringing loose-fitting clothing for the session, but added that people are welcome to work out in their ordinary street clothes.

"Just bring yourselves. Come as you are," Merrill said.

Check-in for the National Senior Health and Fitness Day events at Addie's Studio is at 9:30 a.m., and the seminar begins at 10. The day's programs will wrap up by 12:30 p.m., just in time for a healthy lunch at one of the local restaurants. Interested seniors can call (858) 483-2711 or log on to www.addiesstudio.com