Fun fitness classes help residents with day-to-day activities
About five minutes into Lindsay Flechtner’s Monday fitness class “Fitness with Lindsay,” she asks her 15 students, “Who’s having fun out there?” All hands go up, including student Carol Hodges, who has been attending this 9 a.m. class for all of the more than 10 years she’s lived at Holly Creek Life Plan Community in Centennial.
The new year marks a time many people implement new goals, and becoming more fit often tops the list. As Holly Creek’s fitness coordinator for more than a decade, Flechtner has been helping her students meet and exceed their fitness goals.
Holly Creek offers 25 instructor-led classes, which vary in size from 10 to a maximum of 18 students. Flechtner and two other instructors lead residents through exercises that focus on the four pillar of fitness – endurance, balance, strength and flexibility. If Holly Creek’s fitness classes are a tool kit, residents have plenty of tools to use.
Instructor-led classes include Fitness with Lindsay, Fitness with Ann, Tai Chi with Sharon, Yoga with Maire, strength and conditioning, balance, and stretch and flex classes. In addition, Holly Creek offers a self-workout room featuring the latest fitness equipment and an indoor/outdoor pool, where neighbors can swim laps in the dead of winter or paddle in the warm summer sun.
According to Flechtner, the key common denominators for every class are fun and a focus on functional fitness that applies to everyday activities.
“Lindsay is absolutely terrific,” said Hodges. “Not only do her classes keep me fit, but we also have a lot of fun. Everybody leaves her classes with a smile their face, feeling invigorated.”
Holly Creek resident Chuck Lemons began attending Fitness with Lindsay after he moved to the community about a year and a half ago and shared what he gets out of the classes.
“I play pickleball weekly, and Lindsay’s class helps me maintain my flexibility and improves my balance, which helps my game,” Lemons said. “The four elements of successful aging are staying active, socializing, challenging yourself mentally and being spiritually connected. Lindsay’s classes cover two of those, including meeting new people and making new friends.”
According to Flechtner, Holly Creek’s small fitness class sizes allow her and her fellow instructors to connect personally with each resident and find out what they need.
“My favorite part of the job is interacting with my students, making sure they are having a good time and seeing new friendships being built,” Flechtner said. “We always have good tunes playing in my classes, and it turns out ’50s and ’60s doo-wop and R&B helps to get people moving.”
Hodges added, “Nobody likes a boring class, but that’s never the case with Lindsay. Her positive and supportive attitude are coupled with great music that keeps us motivated and smiling. It doesn’t matter what your fitness level is, we welcome everyone and encourage each other to do the best we can do.”
Flechtner believes in the adage “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” She concludes, “What’s great about Holly Creek is we take our fitness to the outdoors and go on a local hike every Friday in September. What good is being fit if you can’t enjoy the great outdoors? Last year we did nice, flat hikes locally, including walking around the lake at Clement Park and hiking in the backcountry of Highlands Ranch.”
If you live at Holly Creek and enroll in a fitness class, be prepared to have fun, meet new people and benefit from the additional strength, balance and flexibility in your daily life.
