Seniors looking to improve their health and independence through the power of exercise can forego gym memberships and make a beeline for the Sumner Senior Center.
Enhance Fitness is an ongoing group exercise class offered by the Good Samaritan Celebrate Seniority program through MultiCare. It focuses on improving flexibility, strength and endurance using stretching, expressive movement and light free weights.
The class runs from 3 to 4 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the dining hall. Classes usually have about a dozen attendees.
The class is taught by Sarita Stotler, a certified fitness instructor who runs four other classes in the Puyallup Valley and Graham.
“I’ve always had a passion for health and fitness and I’m so fortunate to work at a job I enjoy, help people be healthier and make new friends along the way,” she said.
The class begins when the music is turned on and everyone gathers in a circle. The first track is slow as students reach and roll the kinks out of their joints; as the track switches to a faster-paced tune the demands become more challenging as students are signaled to march, move, squat and reach.
“Breathe in when you go down,” Stotler said, moving into a lunge. “Breathe out when you come back up. Is everyone having a great day?”
Stotler emphasizes a noncompetitive environment for students to exercise at their own pace. Exercisers are free to talk and socialize. If they feel thirsty they’re encouraged to pause and have some water.
The class is open to all, but on this day it’s all women. They laugh and make chit-chat before class. Elfie Donaldson, one of two regular students older than 80, showed off her bicep.
“Sarita is the best teacher you could ask for,” she said. “She looks out for you, she checks to make sure you’re breathing properly and she really looks out for you. I never miss a class. If I miss a class, I don’t feel right that day.”
Another student, Vivian Best, attested to how the class impacted her own health.
“I’m one of those people who had a stroke and had trouble walking, almost to the point where they said I didn’t have hope,” Best said. “But Sarita helped me and was patient with me, and now I’m in better shape.”
For more information about the Sumner Enhance Fitness program or one of her other classes, contact Stotler at sarita.stotler@goodsamhealth.org or 253-697-7389.
