LEDGER — Mitchell County Senior Center Director Kathy Garland presses play on a workout playlist and suddenly the smooth voice of George Jones sings out the lyrics to “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
Now the 30-minute exercise class can begin.
For seven years on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10:30 a.m. the Senior Center has held an exercise class for its residents.
Mitchell County Recreation Director Brock Duncan has been working with the center on this initiative since its inception and serves as one of the teachers each week.
“I’m all about getting off the couch no matter what age you are,” Duncan said. “We’re just trying to keep people of all ages healthy and active and it’s helped them a bunch.”
During the first phases of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, the Senior Center was unable to hold classes. But, now that some restrictions have been lifted, they have been able to resume on a smaller scale.
“We had about four people when we started seven years ago but we quickly grew to about 50 people,” Duncan said. “Now with this pandemic, we’ve had to dial it back a lot.”
Under current restrictions, only ten people are allowed at each class, which means it has become somewhat exclusive. Residents must make a reservation by phone prior to attending the class.
“We’ve got them outside, six feet apart and some of them choose to wear masks,” Duncan said. “We’re following the guidelines to keep them safe and healthy while they’re here.”
Local resident Mattie Sparks has been attending the exercise classes for so long, she doesn’t remember when she started.
“I’ve been doing it for years,” Sparks said. “I couldn’t tell you it’s been so long. I’ve been coming here for ages.”
When the center paused classes due to social distancing restrictions, Sparks said she missed it because the classes keep her active, both physically and socially.
“It was really hard when we couldn’t come here because I love coming here to be with people,” she said. “The exercise is so good for you. It makes you feel better and it keeps you limbered up and not sitting at home all the time.”
The exercise class consists mostly of stretching, sometimes with exercise bands and some light cardio training to elevate the heart rate.
“Nothing we do is too high impact,” Duncan said. “Basically, we do stuff for flexibility with the joints, like legs and hips, which are the parts of your body that are critical as you get older.”
As Duncan and the attendees workout, they joke around, laugh and encourage one another to keep going. One woman asks how Duncan’s kids are doing and another woman jokes about how out of shape she is.
Duncan encourages them to “keep pushing” and to “take deep breaths” during some of the more difficult exercises.
“My favorite part of the class is laughing with them and teasing them,” Duncan said. “And they’ll tease me back and tell me when I need a haircut or if I’ve gained weight. I just love that I get it from them. I don’t have any grandparents or parents left, so having that connection is really important.”