The Senior Center will host its last Free Friday of 2019 on Nov. 15. Attendees can enjoy their favorite activities or try new classes for free. Look for the regularly scheduled Friday classes – Pilates with Lauren and Zumba Toning, as well as Pinochle and Open Art Studio.
Eskaton Monroe Lodge will generously cater lunch at noon. Senior participants can also look forward to the following special activities.
Bellyfit® Sage for women’s bodies
At 9 a.m. join dance and certified Bellyfit® instructor Randi Robinson-Snaer in Studio 1 for a free fitness class. Bellyfit® Sage, for older women, focuses on posture, balance, coordination, strength and stamina.
Participants will enjoy 40 minutes of gentle cardio and 20 minutes of full body strength and stretch done with the support of a chair – all while uplifting, motivational music plays in the background.
Bellyfit® is the brainchild of founder Alice Bracegirdle and her team of choreographers and movement experts, who created a form of fitness that infuses dance, yoga and core work. They have developed three formats of their program to serve women of all ages, stages and abilities.
Bellyfit® calls itself a movement with its mission to reclaim women’s bodies – the belly especially – as beautiful and strong. The Senior Center Wellness Program will add this class to its schedule at 9 a.m. starting Monday, Nov. 4 in Studio 3.
Wellness talk with a certified nurse
After a buffet lunch, learn all about the importance of protecting yourself during the surge of flu season. From 1 to 2 p.m. in Room 9, Melissa Cannone, RN and Health and Wellness Director at The Woodlake will host a detailed talk on the topic of “Staying Safe during Flu Season.” Potentially life-saving information will be discussed including flu shots, pneumococcal shots, hand-washing, and other tips for staying healthy by staving off the flu.
As we age, our immune systems change, and illnesses can last longer and hit harder than they once did. So, being knowledgeable about how to protect yourself can really save your life.
Annually, the flu wreaks havoc state and nationwide: 70-90 percent of flu-related deaths occur in adults age 65 and older, with an additional 50-70 percent of flu-related hospitalizations occurring in the same age group.
Give thanks and eat pie
Finish the day with our Program Assistant Kate Lauter and engage in some gratitude journaling or doodling while you dine on pumpkin pie for dessert. Journaling can be a form of therapy, as it lowers stress and helps practitioners gain new perspectives or focus on what is important.
In addition to writing, attendees are encouraged to draw, color, doodle, and engage in a creative art form as a mode of self-expression. It can be a good way to unwind from a full day of free activities. And journaling can increase our positivity.
Kate will have a variety of writing prompts and ideas for participants, many of which are inspired by the Head Space mental health group that she leads.
Free Friday Program Nov. 15
- Bellyfit® Sage 9-10 a.m. Studio 1
- Zumba Toning 10-11 a.m. Studio 3
- Pilates with Lauren 11-noon Studio 2
- Lunch is served noon-1 p.m. Curtis Hall
- Pinochle 12:30-4 p.m. Room 12
- Open Art Studio 12:30-3 p.m. Room 11
- The Woodlake Wellness Talk 1-2 p.m. Room 9
- Eat Pie & Give Thanks 2-3 p.m. Garden Room