“Their encouragement and care has enhanced my health and well-being, and they are the favorite reason (why) I live in Bethany Village.”
Connecting with the Bethany Village residents is also a favorite for Nandrasy and Vincent in their jobs. They develop longer-lasting relationships with the residents compared to other personal trainer-client relationships.
“It just means more,” said Nandrasy, who has been with the Bethany Village Center for about eight years and in the fitness industry for 18 years.
“It’s more important than just, say, losing weight or getting stronger. (They) need us so they can live a regular, fruitful life.”
Vincent, who has been at the Bethany Village Fitness Center for almost two years and has been in the industry for 10 years, was also drawn to the center because of how dedicated the residents were to their exercise programs.
“They were very receptive of the information and everything that I was providing and giving to them because they know that they need it, they want to do it, they know that they need to do it,” Vincent said. “... I got into training to help people, and these are the people who need the most help.”
The exercises aren’t just a pastime or hobby for the residents with whom Nandrasy and Vincent work — the workouts help them stay in physical shape to spend time with their grandchildren and do daily tasks.
Hines was particularly inspired to train with Nandrasy and Vincent when another resident, who is in her 90s, planned a 30-day excursion to Antarctica for this coming January.
“She goes five days a week to their exercise classes,” Hines said.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends adults 65 years old and older get at least 150 minutes of exercise at a moderate intensity each week. This could be 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The CDC also suggests older adults get at least two days of activities that strengthen muscles and other activities to improve balance.
“It becomes really important to keep that muscle mass and keep that strength and agility,” Nandrasy said.
One of their popular programs is the Rock Steady Boxing exercise program, which is specially designed for those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. They incorporate noncontact boxing lessons along with strength, cardiovascular, functional and flexibility training. There are two levels of classes depending on the stage of Parkinson’s and physical capabilities of the participant.
Bethany Village’s Rock Steady Boxing program is open to both residents and anyone in the Dayton area with a clinical diagnosis of Parkinson’s, regardless of age.
“For the Rock Steady Boxing, it doubles as a support group for a lot of folks,” Vincent said.
For those with Parkinson’s, they are able to talk with other people with the disorder about symptoms, medications and more, he said. Sometimes the spouses of the participants will come with them and can spend time connecting with the spouses of other participants.
The Bethany Village Fitness Center also has a variety of chair-based exercises, like chair yoga and PACE (People with Arthritis Can Exercise). PACE is a chair-based exercise class that incorporates simple standing movements and focuses on total body exercise, including range of motion, bodyweight strength training, general conditioning, balance and more.
For those residents looking for a moderate to higher level of intensity, they also have a Circuit of Life program, which incorporates strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, balance and flexibility.
“Staying as independent as you can for as long as you can — that’s kind of our goal," Nandrasy said.
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