Community Hospital Fitness Pointe Offers Specialty Exercise Classes for Baby Boomers

Community Hospital Fitness Pointe Offers Specialty Exercise Classes for Baby Boomers

Community Hospital Fitness Pointe, a medical fitness facility in Munster, offers a number of effective programs and classes led with guidance by certified, trained staff to help improve overall health and well-being. One of the newest classes is called FLEE (Functional Living Exercises for Everyone) that includes exercises specifically geared to active older adults.

“There are more than 80 million adults, age 55 and over including seniors and Baby Boomers who are interested in working out for their health and keeping fit,” said Fitness Pointe program manager Debi Pillarella, MEd, CPT. “These aging adults have specialized needs and older clients require specialized training, coaching and conditioning to ensure that they achieve results without increased risk of injury.”

Unlike traditional health and fitness centers, medical fitness facilities like Fitness Pointe offer specialized staff – dietitians, life coaches, degreed exercise physiologists, nationally certified personal trainers and group fitness instructors – who are uniquely qualified to lead programs for all ages and stages of life.

“To better serve the new ‘boomer niche’ in the fitness market, Fitness Pointe has the FIRST Nationally Certified Functional Aging Specialists in Northwest Indiana,” Pillarella explained. “We presently have seven FAI certified staff and trainers with another five planning to take the exam in the next month.”

The Functional Aging Institute (FAI) was founded in 2013 by renowned functional aging experts Dan Ritchie, PhD and Cody Sipe, PhD. For more than 15 years, Ritchie and Sipe have been at the forefront of developing innovative, effective and science-based training programs for older adults.

FAI is focused on delivering their functional aging training philosophy to fitness professionals all around the world. Community Hospital Fitness Pointe is the first facility in Northwest Indiana to have Certified Functional Aging Specialists on staff. Fitness Pointe offers a variety of programs for this growing segment of the population, including NEW classes like FLEE (Functional Living Exercises for Everyone) and FLYE (Functional Living Yoga for Everyone).

“Fitness Pointe employs a number of certified Functional Aging Specialists who teach the FLEE program,” said Ritchie. “Functional Aging Specialists are unique in the fitness field as the only professionals that have been certified with a credential that combines the science behind healthy aging and functional fitness strategies. The Functional Aging Training philosophy is evidence based so that adults over 50 are given exercise demands that improve functional performance....not just a list of fitness exercises.”

“Our FLEE class at Fitness Pointe is offered at 11 am on Monday mornings,” said Pillarella. “Class participants can expect to do exercises that directly apply to their real-world lives, like getting in and out of a chair, carrying bags of simulated groceries and stepping over objects like toys, balls and pets. These movement patterns mimic activities of daily life and when completed for multiple repetitions, enhance an individual’s functionality.”

The FLEE class is free to Fitness Pointe members and is offered to non-members through the Class Pass program. The Class Pass program allows non-members to take advantage of select group exercises classes. Non-members who have existing medical conditions (i.e. hypertension, diabetes, etc) are required to present a physician release prior to activating their Class Pass. Once this paperwork is approved, the Class Pass will be activated and available for renewal. A Class Pass is valid for up to six months from the purchase date.

Class Pass participants can select from any of the classes offered on the Class Pass schedule including the FLEE class, and Aqua II, Aqua Tone, Deep Water, Flowlates, Gentle Joints, Bike & Tone, Cycle, Virtual Cycle, Chair Yoga, Pilates, Meditation/Restorative Yoga, H.I.T, R.I.P.P.E.D. and Zumba.

The Class Pass is available for $90/12 classes or $50/6 classes. A detailed class schedule and descriptions also can be found at fitnesspointe.org. For more information on memberships at Community Hospital Fitness Pointe, call 219-924-5348.