At age 91, Ruth Allen stays active playing table tennis and doing other forms of exercise at Richland College.
Contact: Debra Dennis
214-378-1851;
ddennis@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Dec. 12, 2016
(DALLAS) — Ruth Allen just turned 91. She wakes early to get to gym class, drives herself and competes with 79 other seniors who are bent on staying in shape — literally.
Although she enjoys the stretches and balances led by Richland College physical education professor Bill Neal, she likes the competitive sport of table tennis.
“I can still whack it pretty good!” said Allen.
She is part of a popular class of senior citizens who exercise twice a week at Richland’s Thunderduck Hall. “We don’t play by the rules. We don’t really keep score. We’re doing great if we can bend over and pick up the ball,” she explained.
Allen recently gave up ballroom dancing because, well, her card is already full. She lives on her own, cooks her own meals and, yes, drives her own car.
“My favorite sport used to be golf. Not sure if I’ll get back to it because it’s so hot here in Texas,” said Allen, an Ohio native. “Exercise keeps me younger. I’m able to do more things than a lot of people my age. I’ve been exercising since I was in my 40s. My mother was all bent over because of arthritis, and I decided not to live like that.”
During her youth, Allen loved to dance and ice skate. Later in life, she picked up bowling, but an injury last year forced an end to that sport.
“I couldn’t hold the ball anymore,” said Allen, a retired secretary. “I got to the point where I barely got 100, so I gave it up.”
Age Is Only a Number
Some moderate to vigorous exercise is popular among the senior citizens who meet with Neal. He directs Richland’s senior fitness program and leads the class in stretches and aerobics twice a week in the school’s gym. Allen, he said, is one of his “star students.”
The class focuses less on looks and more on getting and staying in shape. These seniors look for inspiration from Neal as he leads them in stretching techniques.
“This group gave up on their waistlines a long time ago. We’re just trying to keep one foot out of the grave,” said Neal, 76, a physical education and health instructor for 45 years.
The class comprises seniors who are 65 and older. The average age is 84. The group has been meeting for various exercises for about 15 years, Neal said.
“We lose some who become caretakers, but we’ve been going strong,” Neal said. “Most people don’t want to work at this fitness thing. But as we get older, we spend more time in a chair. We try to promote cardiovascular exercise, and we address endurance and muscular strength. We hold ourselves up in Pilates planks. Most of us can hold it for a minute, and that’s pretty good.
“The people I have keep coming back. I always tell them ‘I can’t remember where we left off,’ and they say they don’t remember, so we just start over. We start fresh.”
Seniors Benefit in Countless Ways From Exercise
Fitness for seniors isn’t just a New Year’s resolution — it’s an ongoing effort to stay healthy.
A study by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) said exercise therapy adds to the quality of life, enhances independence and improves cognition. Exercise also erases the damage inertia brings to lungs, the heart and other vital body parts, according to the study.
Cherlyn Shultz-Ruth, dean of allied health and nursing at Mountain View College, said exercise for seniors helps prevent or delay disease, builds muscle mass and decreases muscle atrophy.
Exercise also boosts energy, improves mood and alleviates stress. And it helps to sidestep the pitfalls of isolation.
“We have a lot of couples, but there is also camaraderie among this aging population,” Neal said. “They motivate one another.”
Richland’s class meets from 8 to 9 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
In addition to wellness and physical activities, the Dallas County Community College District offers programs for seniors who are interested in other pursuits including art, music and computer instruction and other activities. The courses are both credit and noncredit.
For more information about the seniors exercise class, contact Richland’s fitness center at 972-238-6055 or other DCCCD colleges throughout Dallas County.
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