Healthy aging in action: Park City seniors find strength through exercise and friendship

PARK CITY — At Intermountain Health’s Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Center in Park City, age is just a number.

Several times a week, a group of older adults gathers for a workout designed to keep them moving, healthy and connected.

“It’s a very active older population,” said exercise therapist Adam Ballenger. “Some of these folks have been here for several years, and some of them are just starting out.”

The classes take an adaptive and individualized approach, focused on posture, balance and strength — all key to healthy aging. Regular exercise can lower the risk of heart disease, reduce dementia risk, and improve overall mobility.

“We focus on a lot of activities of daily living,” Ballenger said. “We curtail a lot of the exercises, the squats, the lunges, the pushing and pulling-type tasks, so that you can really function well in daily life.”

For 80-year-old Skip Echols, the benefits are clear. He has lost nearly 100 pounds by staying active over the last several years.

“Your balance is better, your overall strength is better,” he said. “Old people need to keep moving or they’re not going to be able to move.”

Still, Echols admits with a laugh that his favorite part of the class is “when it’s over.”

But for many participants, it’s about more than just the workout.

“I think some of the folks show up mostly for the other folks, and the exercise is something that just happens,” Ballenger said.

That sense of community is what’s kept 81-year-old Nancy Freifeld coming back for the last eight years.

“It’s like hanging out with your good friends,” she said.

Even a recent hip replacement couldn’t slow her down — she’s already looking forward to this ski season.

“I love working out,” Freifeld said. “I’m strong and I feel really confident about that.”

Whether it’s the health benefits or the friendships, the group agrees on one thing: movement and connection can keep you strong at any age.

For more information about classes, contact Intermountain Health’s Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Center in Park City.

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