LIFT for a Better Life

Participants in the LIFT program at the Troy-Montgomery County Senior Center kick off their class with strength building exercises using hand-held weights. LIFT—or Lifelong Improvements Through Fitness Together—focuses on building strength, flexibility and balance so seniors can stay independent.

TROY – Twice a week during the winter months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Vince and Annette Cerullo would jump in their car and head from their home in Mt. Gilead to the Troy-Montgomery County Senior Center in Troy.

They were part of the “Early LIFTers,” one of two groups at the center who participated in Lifelong Improvements Through Fitness Together (LIFT), a program offered by Rhonda Peters, the family and consumer sciences agent with Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T in Montgomery County.

“This is an ideal program for older people and Rhonda was a wonderful teacher,” said Vince Cerullo. “When you’re in your 80s, you might not get around like you used to, but this class was just the right level. It gave us both more energy.”

LIFT focuses on building strength, flexibility, and improved balance in older adults. At the start of the program, the instructor conducts a baseline functional fitness assessment to measure strength, balance, flexibility and nutrition habits. The aim is to show improvement in these areas by the end of the course.

“It’s not a weight loss program,” said Peters. “It’s about improving basic fitness. For seniors, it helps them stay independent. It can mean you are less likely to fall and able to age at home.”

Peters partnered with Theresa Thomas, director of the senior center, to offer LIFT at the start of 2020 after being trained to conduct the program by Shewana Hairston McSwain, coordinator of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education (EFNEP) program with Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T, and Carinthia Cherry, Ph.D., nutrition specialist at Extension at N.C. A&T.

The program was so popular that the center offered two classes: the “Early LIFTers,” who met each Tuesday and Thursday for eight weeks at 9 a.m.; and the “Lady LIFTers,” who met on the same days at 11 a.m. Activities in the class include strength building exercises, such as arm curls, standing on one foot to improve balance, improving flexibility through toe touches and arm stretches, and education on nutrition.

Peters evaluated the attendees when the classes concluded in early March, and described their progress as amazing. As a whole, the participants improved their ability to balance in a set position by two seconds. They upped their ability to do high steps from about 36 steps to more than 82 steps in two minutes. The group also recorded major improvements in flexibility, from being unable to do toe touches in early January to being able to reach beyond their toes by early March.

Miriam Holt, a resident of Troy who has had hip and knee replacements and also deals with the aches and pains of osteoarthritis, attended the Lady LIFTers class with a couple friends to improve her flexibility and overall fitness. She saw her strength and flexibility improve, but also enjoyed the social aspect of LIFT.

“The comraderie in the class was nice,” she said. “We’d go to class and sometimes, we’d go to lunch afterwards. And Rhonda cares about everybody. She made me feel like I had a friend for life.”

When the pandemic made in-person classes impossible, virtual LIFT classes were offered in spring and summer for Montgomery County residents. The course was expanded this fall to include Alexander, Anson, and Stanly counties, with classes set to conclude just before the holidays.

The winter program in Montgomery County was so popular a virtual version was expanded to three additional counties in the fall.

The Cerullos acknowledge they miss the social interactions of an in-person class. Still, Annette said she keeps to a general fitness routine using old Gatorade bottles – filled to a weight she can handle – as dumbbells.

“I felt better after the class and I’m trying to keep doing the things I learned,” said the grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother of five. “The Gatorade bottles are the perfect size for my hands to grip.”

For seniors, LIFT can mean a better ability to handle daily tasks, such as putting away groceries and getting in and out of the tub. But younger people can get a lift out of LIFT too, said Peters.

LIFT can be for anybody,” she said. “If you’re working in an office all day, this is something you can do standing in your office to stay flexible and work your muscles.”

For information about LIFT programs in your area, contact your local NC Cooperative Extension Center.