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Community Benefit
Senior Fit Exercise Program
Senior Fit Exercise Program
As people age, their risk for illness and injury naturally increases. But exercise can slow the aging process and help people become stronger and more resilient. As part of our commitment to older adults, we host exercise classes designed for seniors at convenient settings throughout the area that help participants maintain independence and prevent disease.
In 1995, Holy Cross Hospital created Senior Fit, an innovative 45-minute multi-component exercise program for adults ages 55 and older. Offered free of charge, the program removes participation barriers to senior exercise presented by most fitness facilities, such as youth-oriented activities and high expense.
With this program, seniors can access safe exercise classes specifically designed for them according to American College of Sports Medicine guidelines.
Over the years, the program has grown steadily and now 1,750 seniors are enrolled in the classes and participate more than 56,000 times each year. The classes are offered at 17 locations throughout Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and the District of Columbia, through a partnership among Holy Cross Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, Montgomery County Department of Recreation and local churches.
A National Council on Aging impact study concluded that Senior Fit participants experienced measurable improvement in upper and lower extremity strength as well as several measures of self-efficacy.
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Holy Cross Hospital
Community Benefit
The Facility