News
Bringing a quality of life for seniors
Scott Wagar
02/21/2012
The members of the Bottineau Senior Citizens Center (BSCC) has added a number of new activities, which is giving individuals who are 55 and older the opportunity to participate in meals, games, exercise sessions and lots of companionship.
Exercise Group
On Monday and Friday, starting at 10:30 a.m., BSCC holds an exercise class which is 45 minutes in length.
“It is for people who are either aging or have mobility limitations. You can sit and do most of the exercises. We do some training standing up where we stretch our calf muscles and such things, but we primarily sit through the exercises,” said Jean Johnson, treasurer of the Bottineau Senior Citizen Center, and the director of its exercise program. “The program isn’t cardio, it’s impact exercise design to keep muscles moving, because as we age, we tend not to move as much, and if you do not use your muscles, pretty soon you cannot use your muscles.”
The exercise program also focuses on balance.
“One of the things we focus on is balance. If you sharpen your core, then it improves your balance,” Johnson said. “All of us as older people are wary about falling, and the injuries that come from that. So, balance is very important.”
On Monday, the group exercises with two pound weights, while on Fridays they use exercise balls. The group follows an exercise program through a DVD they watch on television.
Johnson stated that the groups feel the exercises are assisting them in their health.
“They seem to think it is doing them some good,” Johnson said. “They tell me that after they do the exercises, they feel better and more energized.”
For Johnson, she stated she is enjoying the class because it allows her to receive some physical training and it gives her a social outlet with other individuals.
“My husband and I recently moved to Bottineau, and the exercise program gives me the chance to meet people,” she said. “And, I enjoy the program because its gets me doing the exercise. We should all be doing exercise at home. We should be doing it every day, but we don’t. I’m one of those people who like to procrastinate, but if I have a reason to be here, then I will do it. If I leave it to myself, then maybe I won’t do it. So, exercises at the senior center gets me out of the house to meet people and to get some exercise. It’s a motivator.”
The exercise program is free to attend and is open to the general public.
“You don’t have to be a member of the Bottineau Senior Citizen Center to exercise with us. All you have to do is come and participate,’ Johnson said.
Besides the twice a week exercise program, BSCC also has a trend mill, two bicycles, and a shuffle board floor for senior citizens to utilize.
The senior center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and individuals can come into the center and use its equipment.
However, Johnson added that individuals should check with their physician before they begin exercising.
“We don’t require a person to have a physical before they come and exercise here, but we encourage it just for personal safety, because we don’t want anybody to hurt themselves,” Johnson said. “We also want people to know that if they are hurting while exercising at the center, they need to stop.”
Those who want to participate in the exercise program are asked to bring a towel with them for their stretching training.
Sunday Dinner
Another new event at the BSCC is a Sunday potluck dinner, which takes place the first and third Sunday of every month.
The event was established by Kathleen Sebelius and Al Pearson in November of 2011.
“After the fire at the bowling alley, there were people who had no place to go for a Sunday dinner,” Sebelius said. “So, I suggested that they have a potluck dinner here (Senior Citizen Center) on Sundays. We (Sebelius and Pearson) put out a sign up sheet and a good number of people signed up.”
To date, around 30 individuals come to the potluck dinners each month. However, with the good food and fellowship taking place at the senior citizen’s building, the event is gaining more people each time it takes place.
The meal is provided by those who attend and each person brings a portion of the dinner for everyone to enjoy.
“The group has become so large that we have had to make two groups to bring the food,” Sebelius said. “Group one brings the meal on the first Sunday, group two brings the meal of the third Sunday.”
After the dinner, guests can stay to play cards, games or just enjoy one another’s company.
“Everybody just comes together for a Sunday afternoon to have a meal and to get in some socializing,” Pearson said. “It’s a fun time and we all enjoy our time together.”
The dinner starts at 12:30 p.m. and is open to the general public.
“Everybody is welcome,” Pearson said. “Come and have an afternoon with us, and if you feel like becoming a member and being part of the group, then please join us.”
Individuals, who wish to become a member of BSCC, can do so for a small fee, which grants individuals a number of activities and benefits to participate in. To learn more about membership, contact Bob Abrahamson, president of BSCC, at 228-3057 or Pearson at 228-3085.
The next potluck dinner will be March 4.