One in every four seniors will take a tumble. It’s one of the leading causes of death and disability in older adults. That’s why a local fitness instructor has made it her mission to use movement to keep them on their feet. 

Arlene Santiago teaches her Fit Boomers workout class twice a week.

“They come in here with a perception of this is going to be an easy class,” she said. “If they are here consistently, they are a completely different person from when they started.”

“I don’t feel like I’m 81. I feel like I could do almost anything,” participant Penny Manus said. “I have bad hips and shoulders, but this keeps me loose, keeps me moving.”

Their confidence comes from consistency. 

“My strength has improved from what it was. My weight has improved from what it used to be,” participant Josie Malecki said.

Just as critical in the Fit Boomers class is gaining balance.

“Everybody needs to be strong to prevent falls,” Santiago said. “And especially if someone were to fall, they have to be strong enough to get up from the fall.”

Getting up — and down — is the key to independence.

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“So, when you go out into the real world, you go to grocery store and you are grabbing a can of beans off the lower shelf, you take what you are learning here, the squat, and coming down to get that can of beans,” Santiago said.

“The reason I took the balance class eight years ago is because I had back issues. Once she started the fit boomers, I do not have back issues any longer,” Bette Lally said.

“They are stronger. They have better mobility. They have better endurance. They have better balance as well,” Santiago said.

And better friends. 

“Well, I think I’m having more fun, it sounds like a silly thing but just being around people,” Malecki said.

More information at Santiago’s website here

“I love it! I love not only the class itself, but this is socialization,” Manus said.  “All these girls, we get together for lunches, we go to each other’s houses it’s just a big fat club!”