Ozark seniors win fitness challenge

Linnea McClellan


Published: June 29, 2008

Like a kid with a shiny quarter, 91-year-old Macon Blocker studied the silver token in his hand.

The raised high-five salute made him smile.

Blocker was one of 45 seniors at the Ozark Senior Center who received tokens, gift bags and star pins for completing a 12-week Senior Wellness Pilot Program at the center. Of the three senior centers that participated, Ozark had the fewest participants drop out before reaching the target completion date. The project was a partnership between the Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging and Mid South Home Health with the goal of encouraging seniors to be more active. Stormie Andrews, director of Resources and Activities for SARCOA and the program coordinator, said they hope the results will encourage other businesses to participate as partners in the future. 

“I got all my 12 stars,” Blocker said. “I didn’t miss any of it. It’s kept me going. I got good out of all of it.”

After finishing his cereal every morning, Blocker said he holds onto a chair and lifts himself up and down 10 times, then does some squats and other exercises to start the day.

Martha Peacock lost 25 pounds in the program. Although it wasn’t designed as a weight-loss plan, the motivation helped her on the way to reaching her goal of losing 100 pounds.

Even without testimonials from the satisfied winners in Ozark, results of surveys taken before and after the challenge showed it made a difference.

At the outset, for example, 50 percent said they had some problems with posture. After the program, 86 percent said their posture improved. Before, 26 percent had problems transferring from sitting to standing. Afterward, 95 percent said the program helped. Some 97 percent of the participants said the program was motivating and 100 percent said it was easy to understand.

“These are wonderful statistics and even more wonderful is that this program helped you,” Andrews said.