Goodbye to Yesterday’s Senior Center, Hello to Today’s Successful Aging Center at Parmly LifePointes

February 11, 2008
|In Our Blog
|By origineight

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xz2g6C1e8E[/youtube]The temperature might not get above zero today here in the Land of 10,000 very frozen lakes. But that isn’t going to deter a bunch of people from their 50s into their 90s from heading to Vitalize! Wellness Centre at the Ecumen community of Parmly LifePointes, which is built on the shores of one of those frozen lakes in Chisago City, Minn.Vitalize! visitors are partaking in a whole different kind of ‘senior center.’

  • Vitalize! is a successful aging center that takes a holistic approach to aging by focusing on the tenets of successful aging: physical, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and vocational wellness.
  • It promotes self-empowerment and takes a proactive approach to aging rather than a reactive one.
  • Unlike so many fitness chains nationally, programming is focused on older adults rather than younger ones and is used by people of all physical levels from marathon runners to people receiving care at Parmly’s care center and rehab center. Spandex and Techno Rock aren’t the focus here … substance, learning new things and feeling good in an empowering environment… .are.
  • Vitalize! draws members from the Parmly LifePointes community and the surrounding area, helping to create a culture of successful aging.
  • Vitalize! includes:

    • Aquatic Center: Warm water lap pool and a separate therapy pool (like the pro teams use) with underwater treadmill. Both use a natural salt sanitizer for ease on the skin.TechnoGym: SmartKey technology creates a personalized, virtual trainer for a person to track their fitness plan and progress. Includes treadmills, cardio waves, syncro-elliptical trainers, and strength training equipment.Wellness and Exercise Classes: A trainer sets up personalized training plans and members can access a plethora of classes, including yoga, aerobics, water fitness, water walking, and nutrition.‘Hungry Mind’ Classes: Classes from politics to spirituality from tai chi to great authors help feed the minds of lifelong learners.Massage: Members can get hands-on massage or visit an automated warm-water massage tableRuben’s Cafe: Named after LifePointes’ Senior Olympian and swimmer Ruben Berg, Ruben’s Cafe is a place to gather with friends for a sandwich or salad. Serenity Garden: Great place to relax and enjoy the tranquility (but you probably want to do it on a summer day rather than today).