Atria Willow Park resident Janice Smith, center, participates in Morning Stretch class Friday Oct. 3. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

During National Senior Active Aging Week, 13 residents from Atria Willow Park in Tyler were awarded with the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. The residents were required to exercise for 30 minutes five days a week for six weeks to be awarded the PALA certificate. According to fitness.gov, the PALA award was established I n April 2012 with a partnership between the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition and Entertainment Software Association to promote healthy lifestyles.

“Atria offers an exercise class at 10 a.m. for the residents every morning,” said Susan Dodd, Engage life director for Atria Senior Living. “We also have an afternoon class at 1:30 that meets and they kept a roll call of everyone that was coming.”

Along with the two exercise classes offered at the center, there is also an exercise room available for residents and a ballroom dance class offered the last Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. with a local professional ballroom instructor.

“I usually do 30 or 35 minutes on the new step machine every day,” said Betty Boles, an 80-year-old PALA award winner and resident of Atria Senior Living Center. “Exercise is important and if you don’t move it you lose it.”

The residents at Atria Senior Living are encouraged by one another to be active and join in one or both of the exercise classes offered. According to Mrs. Dodd, there are usually about 30 residents that come to each class.

“I go to the group exercise, and it has really helped me with my balance tremendously,” said Shirley Walker, 77-year-old resident and PALA award winner. “I was feeling stiff and wasn’t doing much activity so when I started going it makes me feel better and a little stronger, it’s a neat program that I’m glad that they have.”

The residents do exercises sitting and then standing during the hour-long class. Several muscles are used during the class, promoting better balance and helping with using muscles that are not normally used.

“I do what I can do, some of the things I can’t do well but I still go every day,” said Laverne Thomsen, 98-year-old PALA award winner and Atria resident. “I was active when I was younger; I played golf and swam all the time.”

This was the third year Atria Senior Living participated in the PALA achievement program. For more information on the PALA award visit presidentschallenge.org.

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