By Dominique Asher
YMCA’s SilverSneakers classes for seniors are taking place at Seffner Elementary in Brandon this month in order to ensure a safe and clean environment for the seniors at higher risk during the pandemic.
The SilverSneakers program offers classes for seniors, held from Tuesday to Thursday at 11 a.m., in the community that helps keep them active and fit and ensures they are improving their mental and physical health.
To guarantee the safety of those participating in the classes, the groups are limited to 20 seniors, one instructor and a class ambassador in the Seffner school, which provides more square footage than the YMCA.
The wellness director sits in on the class for the first day, equipment is sanitized after each class and placed in the individuals’ space and the YMCA makes sure lots of communication circulates so that the situation is made clear to the public.
The SilverSneakers classes offer a wide range of exercise to help the older community remain fit and able. The classes work on balance, strength and stamina through a series of chair-based activities, as well as general-use exercise that will help them in their everyday lives.
The classes also allow the seniors to improve their overall health while bumping along to music and interacting, at a safe distance though.
Many were concerned at first about it reopening amid COVID-19; however, they gained faith after the securing of an exclusive location at Seffner.
“Many seniors used to go five times a week and looked forward to the reopening,” said Heather Solomon, Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA Leadership membership executive.
The partnership between Seffner and YMCA’s SilverSneakers blossomed due to YMCA’s Before & After School Enrichment program for students at the school. This program recently added a yoga class to keep students active and to offer a form of stress relief and wellness.
“We love the relationship we’ve built with Seffner over the years, and everything we’ve done together; its been a busy year,” said Solomon.
To learn more, about the YMCA`s SilverSneakers program go to https://www.tampaymca.org.
