Riverlea Recreation’s centre manager Edwina Fillies speaks to us about how they keeping the seniors fit in the community.
Fillies explained that its part of her job description to provide programmes to the kids, the youth and the seniors at the recreation centre so for the seniors she went to train to become a facilitator for the South African Senior Fitness Association (SASFA).
“I went to SASFA to learn exercises that is specialised for the seniors with all the aches and pains. This is aerobics designed for the seniors.
“We have our SASFA group here and then we have the Survivors Senior Club as well as ladies from the Yellow Roses Senior Club.
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“We have this class on a Tuesday and a Thursday, and we also have the Golden Games coming up next month with The Hub so then we’ll see all the seniors joining in there.”
Co- instructor Kay Louw added: “I just want to encourage everyone to join, our eldest senior is 86 years old and she is an inspiration to me and I want to be an inspiration to others too.
“I will be doing my exams with SASFA in a few days’ time so that I can qualify as instructor and I would like to go out to the other communities so that more seniors can join.”
Former co-instructor and oldest member of the club Martha Brown shared: “When I started in 1995, we were only a few in Riverlea and we use to have a national festival which was a lot fun.
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“It’s sad that the festivals don’t happen anymore but I’m really impressed with the attendance in the last two years.” When looking at the attendees of the class, its very visible that it is only women who attend so we asked Fillies about that, she responded: “We want the men to join us but they never stay, they come once or twice and then disappear, maybe they feel that there are too many women but we encourage them to join us.
“We also welcome people to the club, and even just for them to keep healthy and join the programmes that we offer at the recreation centres.”
The class starts at 9am and ends at 10am every Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Riverlea Recreation Centre.
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