Aging: Everyone Does It, But Some Do It Better

By Nancy K. Crevier

“Even since I was in my 20s I thought about aging and thought, ‘We can do it better,’” said Pat Babbage, a personal trainer in Newtown.

Ms Babbage received her BS in behavioral science with a specialization in gerontology and then spent the next 25-plus years determined to prove that aging could be done better.

“I started as a dancer and doing gymnastics way back in high school and college and then in the 80s I taught aerobic dance.” Her continued interest in using exercise to combat the ill effects of aging have found her a place at several area senior centers leading exercise programs and in 2000, Ms Babbage became certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America as a personal trainer and began her business, Priority Fitness. As Priority Fitness, Ms Babbage, who looks much younger than her 50-some years of age, has rented space to lead large groups in mixed aerobic and weight training classes, but recently has focused on small group classes in private homes in addition to the senior center programs.

“For myself, the small groups offer a more flexible schedule, and I am able to give more personal attention to the students,” explained Ms Babbage. With only three or four people in a group, individual exercise needs based on goals, injuries, and health history can be better addressed. For many people, working out with friends or neighbors in a nearby home fits into a busy schedule more easily, too. “Not everyone is comfortable with going to a gym and seeing a lot of people when they are exercising, either,” said Ms Babbage. Small groups offer a comfort level for those people. “I find that in the smaller groups the students energize each other and keep each other on track. They share health tips and encourage each other and there is a sense of accountability when the group is small.”

A small, home-based exercise group is the ideal situation when working through situations that might make one uncomfortable in a gym setting, said Ms Babbage. One local group she leads consists of four women who use exercise to overcome a variety of adversities. For privacy reasons, they wished to remain anonymous.

One member is working to overcome extensive injuries suffered when a car struck her. “She was in rehab for months following the accident. Now she needs to work on flexibility, strength, and coordination. It is amazing the gains she has made and she feels comfortable working out with other women she knows.” Working in the small group allows Ms Babbage to keep tabs on the progress being made by the woman and to help her to know her limits.

The host of that small group dislikes exercising so much that she knew she had to form a group to keep her going. “She knows that exercise makes her feel better, but she won’t exercise alone. Now she is helping to encourage the others in their exercise,” Ms Babbage said.

A mother of two young children who is dedicated to exercising finds that working out with her neighbors is far more convenient than trying to rush to a gym and back in time to chauffeur her children or make it to her part-time job.

Yet another member of that group falls into the category that most intrigues Ms Babbage, a woman in her mid-60s. “She is fighting osteoporosis. She’s a walker, but wanted to do weight lifting. At her age, she was not sure she would get the guidance and attention she wanted in a larger group setting and this group was very convenient for her. I’m there to help them learn how to work out and work out safely,” Ms Babbage said.

The other small groups she leads have similar mixes of women with various needs and goals. “It’s a boost to the spirit to exercise. I had one woman tell me she fights depression and that my exercise classes really help her.”

Beyond a cleared space with room enough to place a floor mat for each person, not much else is required when Ms Babbage arrives at a home. It is a plus if the home has some exercise equipment, but she provides exercise balls, hand held weights, exercise bands, and other small equipment if the group does not own them. “Most of the people I instruct own at least some hand weights, though, or after a few sessions, they go out and buy them,” said Ms Babbage.

She meets with the home groups once a week for one hour. The program is tailored to each group’s individual wants and needs. The only commitment she asks is that they work out individually or with someone else in the group at least one more time each week, and that they try to stretch or walk every day. “I am there that one day to offer motivation,” she said. “I push them a little further that day than they would do on their own. I try to use a sense of humor and make it fun, too, though.”

As much as she loves working out with various ages, she remains passionate about aiding people to age gracefully. “I have experienced my own injuries and some of the aging process,” said this exercise instructor, “so I feel I can really relate to the older student.”

 Last November, Ms Babbage attended an International Council on Active Aging conference in Las Vegas, where her longstanding conviction that “We can do aging better” was validated. “You don’t want to just live longer, you want to be active longer,” she said. The convention focused on the use of exercise to slow down the aging process, stay fit, and ward off debilitating diseases. “The conference also emphasized how social ties and exercise are key to long, healthy lives,” Ms Babbage said. That is why she believes that the buddy system workout is successful when practiced on a small, personal scale.

Working with senior citizens she is impressed with how, like her home groups, they work through adversity. “Not all of them see well or hear well anymore,” she said, “and there is always the balance problem. But I have regulars who do what they can.” As an instructor of older students, Ms Babbage said she has to be aware of any health issues or limitations and is constantly scanning the group to make sure no one is going beyond their ability.

“If I know that one or two in the group should not be doing a particular move, but might try it if I include it in a routine, I avoid that move.” She has also learned how to modify exercises, where to place hard of hearing students in the class, and how to describe each exercise movement for those who are sight impaired.

The groups tend to be larger in the senior center situation, but Ms Babbage is fine with that. Most of her senior students do not opt for a home exercise program, as getting out to the class is one of the few opportunities they have to mingle with others during the day.

“I find the older students inspiring,” she said. “I have an 82-year-old student who comes up to me after every class and says, ‘You keep me moving.’ I like to hear that.”

Ms Babbage will be speaking and presenting a demonstration at Nunnawauk Meadows community center January 17 at 3 pm. For information about starting an in-home exercise program with Priority Fitness, call 270-0050.