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Worcester Senior Center fitness center reports 1,150 members, leaders cite rising use and city cost
Summary
The Worcester Senior Center—s fitness program has grown to 1,150 registered members with daily use averaging 55—60 people; staff described free, state-of-the-art equipment, expanded class offerings and a city-supported partnership that staff said costs roughly $300,000 annually.
Leah Whitman, director of the Worcester Senior Center Fitness Center, told the Commission on Elder Affairs that the center now has 1,150 registered members and an average daily attendance of 55—60 people, with a peak of 98 visitors on May 19.
"It's so much more than the equipment; it's an amazing community," Whitman said, describing a facility outfitted with equipment paid for in part by Blue Cross Blue Shield and staffed by certified fitness professionals.
The fitness center offers 10 group exercise classes per week, averaging about 25 participants per class, and a mix of 11 cardio machines (three treadmills, two ellipticals, two upright bikes, two recumbent bikes and two Kaiser total-body trainers). Whitman said the strength equipment uses Kaiser pneumatic resistance, which allows weight adjustments as small as 1 pound and fingertip controls designed to reduce…
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