Staying One Step Ahead
At Oak Trace senior living community in Downers Grove, Illinois, fitness has become so popular that residents are giving the instructors a tough job: staying one step ahead.
With 22 fitness classes offered each week, residents aren’t simply maintaining their fitness levels. They’re getting stronger. Weights get heavier. Walks get longer. Laps add up. Repetitions increase. And residents continue raising the bar for themselves, literally and figuratively. Fitness Supervisor Gina O’Leary and her team are constantly finding new ways to raise it right along with them.
The challenge is that no two residents arrive with the same fitness story.
Some move to Oak Trace after years of working out and are delighted to discover a robust program that pushes them to keep progressing. Others are stepping into a fitness class for the first time, eager to focus on their health and wellness now that they have more time to do so. Most residents fall somewhere in between.
Whatever their starting point, residents tend to have one thing in common: once they get moving, they want to keep improving. Meeting those evolving interests is what keeps O’Leary and her team on their toes.
One Community, Many Fitness Journeys
Rather than offering a one size fits all approach, Oak Trace has created a fitness program designed to meet residents where they are and help them reach their goals.
Whether residents want to build strength, improve balance, reduce stress, or simply enjoy an active lifestyle, there is always something on the calendar to support their journey.
Strength and balance classes, offered at varying levels, are among the community’s most popular programs.
“They have a life of their own,” said O’Leary. “There’s a contagious energy.”
Residents can also try line dancing, Tai Chi, and mind body classes. Seated fitness programs are designed for different mobility levels. Health-focused offerings include NeuroMOVE, an adaptive, evidence-based fitness class that uses purposeful movement to support brain health and help manage neurological symptoms.
Keeping Fitness Fresh
Keeping pace with residents means offering more than traditional fitness classes.
Many residents enjoy walking Oak Trace’s beautiful campus, taking in nature and fresh air while accumulating steps. Others are drawn to the community’s advanced fitness technology.
Residents are encouraged to participate in a VirtuSense VST balance assessment. Using artificial intelligence and machine vision technology, the system evaluates balance, gait, and function to identify potential fall risks. The results help the fitness team develop personalized exercise plans focused on strength, balance, and fall prevention.
Oak Trace’s HUR strength training equipment creates another personalized experience. With a quick scan of a fob, the machine recognizes the resident, recalls previous settings, and guides them through their workout circuit. As residents become stronger, the equipment evolves with them.
Nearby treadmills can transport residents to scenic destinations around the world, allowing friends to walk side by side through virtual landscapes while sharing conversation and encouragement. The experience transforms a workout into a social adventure.
Making Waves
Oak Trace’s aquatic center offers another way for residents to challenge themselves and try something new.
Whether swimming laps, playing volleyball, participating in aqua motion, joining water aerobics, or enjoying recreational swimming, residents can find options that match their interests and goals. For some, the pool is where they build strength and endurance. For others, it is where exercise feels more like recreation.
Always Something New
Even the musical soundtracks during workouts reflects Oak Trace’s commitment to keeping things fresh.
“We play ’50s music, rock and roll like The Beach Boys and Elvis, peppered with a little Bruno Mars,” said O’Leary. “We’re trying not to pigeonhole anything in any way.”
That philosophy extends far beyond the playlist. New ideas come from resident feedback, emerging fitness trends, and opportunities discovered by O’Leary and her team as they continue to expand the program.
The result is a fitness culture that never stands still. Residents keep looking for new ways to challenge themselves, and the fitness team keeps finding them. At Oak Trace, staying active means continually moving forward.
