Marion fitness class keeps older adults active as they age

MARION — They are octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians, but they’re still kicking.

In this case, literally.

What started as a physical fitness class for seniors in 1997 by physical therapist Jean Hammill is still going today — with some of its original members.

But what’s more is how folks in their 70s, 80s, 90s and over 100 years old use exercise not just as a lifestyle, but as a means to get more out of life.

“I’m a youngster at 78,” Hammill said. “I marvel at these individuals who are starting to stay in shape and relevant.”

That sense of awe means something coming from Hammill, who got her pilot’s license at 72.

Meet some of the “all-stars” of Elite Fitness.

How they workout to live

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Pauline Falcon, 100, first took the senior class when it was led by Hammill in the late 1990s.

When she returned to it several months ago, the front desk staff thought she had filled out her form wrong — her date of birth was over 100 years ago.

“They stopped me at the desk. I said ‘why yes, that’s my date,’” said Falcon, who will be 101 this year. “They just couldn’t believe it.”

Bonnie Klopfenstein, 91, is a former registered nurse. She got involved in the class after her last husband died and her blood pressure took a toll.

She said the class has helped her outlook on life as much as her hypertension.

“I thought, ‘I’ve got to get out,’” she said. “I was getting kind of housebound.”

Now, she’s newly married to a husband who is just as active.

Carol Thurness, 84, is also a retired nurse. She has a master’s degree in gerontology. She got involved in the class after she lost her husband, who was her exercise partner.

One piece of advice from her first class with Hammill has stayed with her all these years later.

“The first thing she told me was ‘Carol, you’ve got to stand up straight. You look like an old lady,’” Thurness said to laughs around the room.

Here are some insights into their lives, how they’ve kept up with it, and how they’ve made life work for them, despite its challenges.

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Q: What do you love most about this class, and what keeps you coming back?

“The people that are involved make a big difference. We all enjoy each other,” Thurness said.

“You look forward to the time. You’ve got to be in class,” Falcon said in agreement.

Since her first go around with the class decades ago, a few things have changed. Namely, her balance.

“I used to have good balance when I was with Jean,” she said. “But my balance is shot.”

“It’s hard to find steady time to exercise. It’s nice to be able to drop in as I’m able,” Klopfenstein said.

When they were younger, Klopfenstein and Thurness’ late husbands were both football and track coaches who got coffee together regularly. It wasn’t until later in life, in this class, that they became well acquainted.

“The people that are involved make a big difference,” Thurness said. “We all enjoy each other.”

That element, Falcon said, is a continuation of the class’ early days, when Hammill held little parties with food after each session.

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Q: What has kept you in that active, “stay in shape” lifestyle?

All three said exercise has been a way of life for them. They have all kept their heart rates up through walking, exercise, gardening and activities — even if there were periods where they weren’t as active as they would have liked.

“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” Thurness said.

“If you enjoy life, (exercise) is part of it,” Falcon said.

“I’ll always exercise, as long as I can,” Klopfenstein said.

They say that staying in shape isn’t just about a steady routine — it’s a mentality.

“You don’t think you’re your age,” said Klopfenstein, 91.

If she had to put a number on it, she would say she feels about 50. Thurness feels the same way.

“Many can’t believe my age either. I can’t believe it myself,” Falcon said.

Q: How does staying active allow you to enjoy life more?

“I want to stay healthy and not be a burden on my family,” Falcon said.

Thurness, a quilter, enjoys gifting her handiwork to others. Exercise helps with that in small ways. The only thing she can’t do is get on her hands and knees to lay a quilt out.

“I have to lay it out on the bed,” she said — a small concession.

Falcon, an avid gardener, continues what she enjoyed with her late husband. Throughout their lives, they enjoyed working outdoors on their farm.

Klopfenstein loves to sing in the choir and dote on her grandchildren.

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They all said eating healthy is just as important in the equation for a long, active life. All of them continue to cook at home.

“I want to eat well, and it keeps us active,” Thurness said.

“If you don’t do anything else, eat well,” Falcon said. “A lot of people can’t believe my age. They say, ‘what have you done?’”

She says it’s an open secret: exercise and good eating. She eats plenty of fruits and vegetables, some chicken, pork and fish, and very little beef.

She advises staying away from soda and too many preservatives.

And butter?

“I think it’s wonderful. And eggs,” Falcon said. “I cook with butter, everything I do is with butter.”

Q: What does this class mean to you, socially? What are you social outlets?

Thurness stays active in her quilt guild, Bible study and other groups. Keeping busy is her key to this stage of life.

“I think that’s the secret — you’ve got to keep busy and have a lot of wonderful friends,” she said. “If I didn’t have my friends, I’d be lost.”

All three have children and grandchildren who live out of state. In this part of their life, they say their friends play a greater role in keeping each other healthy and connected to the world.

“It’s a hard time, because we lose a lot of friends. Whenever we lose one, it seems like we lose two more,” Thurness said.

“It seems like it goes by three sometimes, doesn’t it?” Falcon said. “I don’t have anyone here but my friends, and I have good friends.”

Q: What are the biggest misconceptions on aging?

“You don’t have to feel old. A lot of people think their joints are supposed to hurt, that they’re supposed to have these aging diseases,” Klopfenstein said. “You don’t have to have them if you work through the years. But you have to start young, and you’ve got to work toward it.”

“It’s a lot of mind over matter,” Thurness said.

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How the class is different

Tim Eilers, the class’ current instructor, has been teaching fitness at Elite Fitness for the last three and a half years. He said fitness classes with older adults at a gym, rather than a retirement home, is somewhat unusual.

Having multiple participants in their late 80s, 90s and over 100 is also unusual, he said.

Every Monday and Wednesday, he structures classes around functional movements on feet, like lunges, that help participants gain autonomy of their own space. Each exercise comes with an explanation of its practicality — how it will help them outside the gym.

Unlike some other classes for this age group, many of the exercises are standing up — not just seated.

Many come in for therapy but stay when they realize how much they want to take care of themselves — beyond the bare necessities.

“If something is an obstacle to doing what they want to do, they try to solve that problem,” he said. “It’s not something they want to give up on.”

“Pauline gardens — lots of bending over, lots of lifting up,” he said, for example. “If we sat the whole time, it wouldn’t move her toward her goals.”

Having a 100-year-old helps check a lot of excuses at the door too, he notes.

It’s not all about exercise, though. They come to stay in shape, but they stay for the fellowship.

At the May 19 class, each exercise was paired with continuous conversation. The group compared notes on their trips to Alaska over the years, caught up with each other, and heard a “hello” from another mutual friend, relayed through one participant.

Accountability helps them stick with the weekly habit. And when others are out sick, their classmates make a card.

“They know someone cares,” Eilers said. “If I did the absolute best exercises in the world, and there was no camaraderie, they would fall off. There’s a very strong sense of community there.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.