CHARLESTON — When the Mississippi summer settles in, most folks know the routine: the heat drives everyone indoors, the day stretches long, and the best intentions to “get some exercise” tend to melt away along with the afternoon. Starting May 4, the James C. Kennedy Wellness Center is giving our community a better option.
The Kennedy Wellness Center is proud to introduce The Midday Movement, a brand-new program built specifically for adults 50 and older who want to feel stronger, move easier, sleep better and spend time with neighbors, friends or family members who are in the same season of life.
For just $10 a month, a new Midday membership unlocks the full experience from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, plus Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon. While anyone can join, we are especially focusing on adults 50 and older and healthy aging with this program.
Why this, and why now?
The research on movement after age 50 is overwhelming, and it’s encouraging. Regular exercise, even moderate walking and light strength training, can lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar control, protect against heart disease, ease joint pain, lift mood, and sharpen memory. For adults over 65, staying strong is one of the single most effective ways to prevent the falls that send so many of our loved ones to the hospital each year and result in the inability to live independently.
Strength isn’t about lifting the heaviest weight in the room. It’s about being able to carry your own groceries, play on the floor with your grandchildren, get up out of a chair without thinking twice, and walk into church on Sunday morning without your knees complaining. That is the kind of strength The Midday Movement is built to grow.
What a day looks like
Members are encouraged to arrive around 10:00 a.m. and begin with a gentle 10- to 15-minute walk on our climate-controlled indoor track, a comfortable way to warm up no matter what the thermometer is doing outside. At 10:15 a.m., our group fitness instructor leads a 30-minute class designed for every level of experience, from those with experience to folks who haven’t exercised in years, or maybe ever. Every class will also offer chair modifications, so nobody is left behind.
From 10:45 to 11 a.m., members can rest, rehydrate, or walk on the indoor track. Then from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, our personal trainer will be on the floor in the gym area, guiding members through the weight machines, treadmills, and cardio equipment, answering questions, and making sure every exercise is safe, comfortable, and effective. That’s a full hour of hands-on coaching from a certified trainer, included with the $10 membership.
After noon, the membership allows use of the facility until 2 p.m. for members who want to linger, walk, stretch or simply enjoy the air conditioning and good company.
More than just exercise
At least once a month, The Midday Movement will host a special program built around the questions people our age are actually asking: a Q&A with a registered nurse, a session with a registered dietitian on eating well after 50, fall-prevention workshops, presentations on things like improving sleep, and guest speakers on healthy aging, memory, balance, and longevity. These sessions are included in the membership and open to every Mid-Day Member.
Bring a friend. Escape the heat. Feel better.
One of the best parts of a program like this is who you meet. Grab your spouse, your neighbor, a friend, and/or a fellow church member and come together. The mornings are cooler, the building is cool all day, and there is a real community forming here, people showing up, cheering each other on, and walking out feeling better than when they walked in.
The program will run May, June, July and August to start, and if participation is strong, and we hope and expect it will be, it will continue year-round. There has never been an easier, more affordable way to invest in the next 10, 20, 30-plus years of your health. Your future depends on the choices you make today!
How to join
The Mid-Day Membership is $10 a month. To sign up, stop by the James C. Kennedy Wellness Center at 188 Honeysuckle Drive in Charleston. If you have questions, please call 662-625-7214.
Please also follow us on Facebook at James C. Kennedy Wellness Center for news, updates and information.
The first group fitness class meets Monday, May 4, at 10:15 a.m. Come as you are, we’ll take it from there.