The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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  • A new program at the Pathstone Crossing assisted-living facility in Mankato helps residents exercise three times a week. The balance-building activities help the residents avoid dangerous falls. John Cross

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March 14, 2010

Seniors learn age is no barrier to exercise

Sessions help improve balance

By Dan Linehan Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — Helen Weber doesn’t use her inhaler as much and is sleeping better. Laverne Sundborg is having an easier time getting into and out of cars. Rudy Honsey just feels better.

These are typical benefits of exercise, but not typical exercisers.

They’re residents at Pathstone Crossing, an assisted-living facility in Mankato that’s three months into a program that aims to help them remain independent. Avoiding falls is a big deal here, and by the trainers’ measurements, the participants improved their balance by 31 percent on their right leg and 70 percent on their left.

A senior fitness company called Live 2B Healthy runs the sessions.

Curtis Bergsholm, who operates a franchise of the company south of the Twin Cities, said he works with 17 facilities.

Different groups make progress at different speeds, he said, but his goal at Pathstone is to have them working out on their feet the whole session eventually.

In one recent session, 15 participants spent some of the time on their feet in the hall and the rest on chairs.

The workout leader gave each of them a bungee cord with handles to work on their strengths.

At one point, Honsey leans over to Beth Colway, director of development at Pathstone, and says, “You wonder what’s happened to the men.” He’s the only guy here, and Colway jokes he ought to do some recruitment.

Honsey says there’s no question the exercise “invigorates” him.

The trainer holds three or four cords at a time and leans back on his heels as the residents pull. They hook the cords under their chairs to pull up and loop them around the back to push forward.

Colway said the exercise helps the residents stay independent by avoiding the types of injuries that could move them from assisted living into the nursing home.

Evelyn Rome, 92, credited her mother’s long life (she died at 102) to exercise and a good diet. She says she tries to exercise by herself, but it’s easier in the scheduled atmosphere of the group.

Thanks in part to the thrice-weekly exercise sessions, Rome figures she’s still got a few good years left in her.

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