I am 86 years old  (87 shortly) and after my Mary, my wife for sixty years passed away three years ago, I could not walk a straight line. Even before my Mary passed, I began having serious balancing problems. My doctor recommended that I visit a physical therapist. The  therapist recommended that I begin taking classes at the YMCA and since I was a past member of the YMCA, I re-activated my membership and signed up for YOGA classes. The YOGA teacher (Thea) recommended that I sign up for the Tai Chi and Qi Gong classes which would be beneficial in correcting my balancing concerns. So, I signed up for both classes and then added Enhanced Fitness and the gym room where I could use different weights treadmills, cycling, and rowing to refresh many parts of the body. I eventually met some people in the classes that enjoyed taking a walk after finishing the last class, and so I added a nice walk before heading out.

I have always been very physically active, in spite of my years, and easily adjusted to the numerous exercises available to me at the YMCA. I was not attempting to turn back the clock on my body, but to provide maintenance to keep it in better physical condition.

Attending the different classes was something I really looked forward to as I would be getting the exercises that I believed my body needed and equally important, I would be meeting new people and enjoying social contact as I have lived alone since my Mary passed. I am very pleased with the physical, mental and social benefits that I have derived, as I have somewhat improved my balancing problems and enjoy very much the social contact. I can now stand with my eyes closed and not feel like a big wind is causing me to sway and I have met many very nice people.

I leave the Enhanced Fitness class early and go to the gym and work with the exercise equipment for 1/2 hour and wait for the Enhanced Fitness class to finish. I join up with a few of my classmates and we go for a walk, quite often, regardless of what the weather is like. While we walk, we converse about anything  and everything. After the walk, I head for the store or home. I go to the YMCA 4 days every week.

Benefits:

1. We share stories about life and continue to learn
2. We share recipes and enjoy new ways to cook and enjoy different foods (some are absolutely delicious)
3. We share books (always find something new in life)
4. We share plants/cuttings and seeds (I LOVE gardening and the miracle of ALL life)
5. We share stories of life (Everyone can learn something from any other person)
6. Before the COVID-19 interruption, I would bake oatmeal cookies (my recipe) and take them in to every class and share them. Because of COVID-19, I take in Dove chocolates instead and tell my classmates that they are energy pills and we laugh.

The major point of the benefits is SHARING, we try to give something beautiful and good to others as we take our daily walk of life.

AUTHOR: Joe Gluzinski, TCW Walking Group Participant