With funding from a Healthy Acadia Coalition Mini Grant, MDI Hospital’s Wellness and Prevention program has gained a little weight. Thanks to a $500 grant, the popular YES, or Your Exercise Solution program will now incorporate weights as well as resistance bands into its mostly seated, low impact routine.
“We decided to incorporate the weights and bands to add a little resistance to the exercises we were already doing,” explained Wellness Assistant Kathy Mulligan. “Resistance training is an important part of an overall fitness program,” added Ms. Mulligan.
YES combines strength and cardiovascular exercise under the guidance of a trainer. Participants are lead through high-energy, low-impact routines by Ms. Mulligan or Wellness Specialist Laurie Jones.
“The weights are light but there are a lot of ways to use them to build upper and lower body strength,” explained Ms. Mulligan. “And the bands will allow us to work on range of motion and to safely target muscles that we could not otherwise.”
“The benefits of this kind of training, especially for seniors, are many,” said Ms. Mulligan. “With strength comes better balance, increased mobility and flexibility, and decreased likelihood of injury.”
The YES program is currently offered at the Maple Lane Apartments in Northeast Harbor, at Malvern Belmont Estates in Bar Harbor, and at Ridge Apartments in Southwest Harbor. “By offering the class in different locations, we make it easy for community members to participate,” explained Ms. Mulligan.
Because it is still relatively new, the Southwest Harbor class at Ridge Apartments has plenty of room for new participants, explains Ms. Mulligan. “We hope to see more members of Southwest Harbor and surrounding communities at the Ridge Apartment classes.
“These classes also provide an opportunity to socialize and just have fun,” added Ms. Mulligan. “We play music and joke around. It really is fun to exercise!”
Classes at the Ridge Apartments in Southwest Harbor are held Mondays at 9:00am. Malvern Belmont classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00am. In Northeast Harbor, classes are held at Maple Lane Apartments the first Wednesday of each Month at 11:00am.
For more information on the YES exercise classes, call 288-5082, extension 624.
