Clinton Township parish hosts low-impact routines three times a week, encouraging movement and fellowship among seniors
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — For an hour a day, three days a week, the social hall at St. Louis Parish in Clinton Township turns into a part-time workout space, part-time social hour.
Linda Hoas, a local fitness instructor, leads a cohort of approximately 40 people aged 50 to 90 in a series of calisthenics, stretches, and chair exercises that encourage seniors to get out of the house and into fitness.
Elaine Pace, 83, a St. Louis parishioner, has been going to the classes for three years as a means to stay limber, she told Detroit Catholic.
“I was in the choir when somebody suggested that I go to this exercise class,” Pace said. “I saw it in the church paper, but I thought, ‘Oh, this is just for old people who sit in a chair. But I figured to give it one shot, and I’ve been coming back ever since.”
Hoas leads from the front of the room, playing music while calling out basic stretches and low-impact exercises, most of which can be done from a standing or sitting position, depending on the comfort of each participant.
Hoas often banters back and forth with the participants to keep them on their feet, so to speak.
“She’s so motivated and makes sure we have a good time,” Pace said. “She is just boom, boom, boom, on to the next thing, and she’s so motivated. I went to Vermont to visit my son, and he said he would take me to the (YMCA) for exercises. There was this young guy there leading the exercises, but we didn’t do a whole lot. We do more here than this young guy did. All because Linda has so much energy and keeps us engaged.”
Rosa Clancy, 82, isn’t a St. Louis parishioner, but heard from a friend how the classes were a low-pressure environment to stay fit and mobile.
“I’ve been coming here for about two years because if I don’t move, I get stiff, and when I don’t do these exercises, there are times when I can’t get up and down the stairs,” Clancy said. “Then one day, a friend told me about these classes, and I started coming with her.”.
As a non-parishioner, Clancy still connects with the group, getting involved in the various raffles and seasonal celebrations. When Detroit Catholic visited the class, the group was decked out in their Detroit Lions gear.
Even more so than the exercises, Clancy said it is the community aspect of the classes, meeting new and old friends and having something to look forward to doing on a weekly basis, that is the biggest benefit.
“I look forward to coming to these classes,” Clancy said. “It gets me out of the house. Otherwise, I’m by myself all the time, with nobody around. So this helps me get out of the house and moving.”
St. Louis Parish is located at 24415 Crocker Blvd., Clinton Township. Fitness classes are Mondays and Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m., and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Classes costs $1 per class, and participants are encouraged to wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothing.
