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Town-Sponsored Fitness Program Targets Seniors

For Immediate Release                                                                        Contact: Collin Nash or Sid Nathan
October 24, 2008                                                                                                              (516) 869 7794

Town-Sponsored Fitness Program Targets Seniors

New Hyde Park, NYAge is just a number, conventional wisdom has it.

But as we grow older, aches and pains kick in and the years begin to take their toll. Where seniors are concerned, it boils down to this, experts say: use it or loose it.

Since this summer, growing numbers of North Hempstead seniors have opted to use it—their lungs and their limbs that is—combating the negative effects of aging by attending a twice-weekly, one-hour fitness program on the grounds of Clinton G. Martin in New Hyde Park.

“There is no medicine like preventative medicine,” Supervisor Kaiman said. “And the best preventative medicine is a lifestyle that includes watching what we eat and staying active. A program like can impact participants in ways that cannot be measured in dollars and cents.”

Health care experts point out that while seniors represent 15 percent of the total population, they account for almost 40 percent of the prescriptions. As a result, more and more physicians are recommending regular exercise to older individuals.

A spin-off of FunDay Monday program at Bar Beach, the town-sponsored senior fitness program has pulled in an average of 30 participants per class, said Rebecca Miller, Director of the town’s Department of Community Services.

Miller noted that the sessions have become so popular since taking off in the summer, would be participants are running into an already stretched waiting period.

The senior fitness program is funded by the Town of North Hempstead and a $5,000 grant state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel acquired through the New York State Office for the Aging.

“Whatever your age or activity level, it is never too late to start a fitness routine,” Schimel said. “As a former healthcare professional I know how important exercise is to a person’s physical and emotional wellbeing. This fitness program will help individuals maintain independence and mobility as they age.”

Coordinated by the Town of North Hempstead Department of Community Services, the program is run by certified fitness instructor, Anthony Garcia.

Call 311 for more information regarding requirements for participation and the 2009 schedule.

(L to R) Director of Community Services Rebecca Miller, Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel and Acting Commissioner of the Dept. of Community Services Kim Corcoran in front of the senior fitness program.

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