COCHRANE— Embracing their golden years, a Cochrane group of seniors known as the Silver Sneakers have scooted down a path of well-being by joining CrossFit Cochrane.
Judy Edge joined the Functional Fitness program which they have dubbed the name "Silver Sneakers" a couple of months ago. She said although she is fairly active in her everyday life after the pool in town closed she was looking for another way to keep busy.
Edge said she came across CrossFit on Facebook and the rest is what they say, history.
"It's hard," Edge laughed."I thought I was doing pretty good in the pool but this is a completely different set of exercise."
The Silver Sneakers group is based on a functional fitness model. This includes picking things up, putting things down, balancing, mobility, hinging, pushing and pulling.
"They're very positive and they're very supportive," she said. "They're really good at what they do and it certainly is fun and it's something that's needed to keep you busy as a senior— They're really good at modifying and telling you to go at your own pace. Instead of doing 18 or 16 of those in a row, maybe you can only do 12 or 10 or maybe two."
Edge added the nutritional component is a good way to understand fitness from the non-physical side.
"We go through a lot of those fundamentals with our seniors' group. I think it's been a lifesaver for a lot of them," said CrossFit Cochrane owner Joe Cowie. "A lot of our Silver Sneakers are wanting to lose weight and a lot of them are wanting to gain muscle."
Due to the COVID-19 virus, Cochrane Crossfit closed their doors on March 17, he said, but the shutdown did not last long as they quickly shifted their focus to virtual classes a day later to adjust to ensure they could help people stay active during the pandemic.
Cowie said classes are held using the video-conferencing app Zoom. He added that the application allows him to see all members partaking in the class and he can centre in on one person and provide them with personalized instruction. Each class has two trainers, Cowie said, one instructor leads the class and the other watches the participants live, feeding them verbal cues.
"We're trying to take all of the attributes or the highlights that you would find in your typical brick and mortar studio-style gym, where you have a close-knit community and keep that rolling online— It's making that human being connection that I think people are missing so much these days," Cowie said. "With the Silver Sneakers group, a lot of our ladies are in their 60s, 70s and 80s and they have bad knees or bad hips or they can't do certain things so we'll either show them modifications or we'll just take the movement out completely and just change it with something else."
Along with CrossFit comes equipment, Cowie said that they have two streams— One that caters to individuals with plenty of equipment at home and another that only requires a dumbbell or an item from around the house.
"If they don't have anything, we've shown them how to create odd objects. For example, you would take a backpack full of books and duct tape it and it becomes almost like a sandbag."
He adds almost 90 per cent of the movements individuals would do with a dumbbell, kettlebell or barbell can be accomplished with a makeshift object.
As for the Silver Sneakers group, hardly any equipment is needed, Cowie said, although most of the ladies have dumbbells.
Cowie said he believes during this uncertain time the service CrossFit can provide should be deemed essential by the government as it fosters physical and mental support.
"We're doing all these good things, people are making amazing progress virtually changing their life, but yet it's us that are being locked down and then I walk up the street and you've got your tobacco shops are open, your marijuana shops are open, you liquor stores, it just doesn't make any sense at all."
Cowie added he has also seen other family members within the household begin to take part in the online workouts which makes him feel like he is making a difference in the community.
"That's something that we like to see, we know that so many people are literally locked inside and suffering from cabin fever, financial uncertainty, pressures of the outside world, job stability, their own health, being isolated from loved ones so, for us being able to create an environment in which the family can actually do something together and stay healthy and trim and look after themselves, that's huge."
