Check out these Odyssey Fitness classes, members and staff in the Times Leader.
By Mary Therese Biebel mbiebel@timesleader.com
Posted: June 23, 2011
Aging Adventures
With traveling, working out and other pursuits, NEPA seniors are hardly idle; instead, it’s a case of life begins at 50
David Zeveney, 68, stretches his leg during a yoga class taught by Geeta Prasad at the Odyssey Fitness Center.
Early this year, as soon as Francine Douaihy learned the date of Prince William’s royal wedding, she booked a flight to London and a hotel room.
The 62-year-old dynamo loves British history, the royal family and shooting photos, so where else would she want to be?
She didn’t even mind standing on a street corner for 12 hours before catching a glimpse of Will and Kate and the splendid horses that surrounded their carriage.
Forget the stereotypes of “little old folks” who sit in their rocking chairs and watch the dramas of the world unfold on television.
Today’s seniors – in some circles, that includes everyone age 50 and older – are maintaining active lifestyles that can include everything from yoga to ballroom dancing to martial arts to embarking on a second career.
A second career was Douaihy’s plan, incidentally, when she retired in 2004 after teaching for 34 years in the Scranton School District.
“Now it’s my turn,” she said, smiling as she sorted through photos from England in her art studio in the Downtown Arts building on North Franklin Street. Images from her recent trip will be on exhibit from 5 to 8 p.m. July 15 during downtown Wilkes-Barre’s Third Friday Art Walk.
“I see beauty everywhere,” Douaihy said, as she admired a photo of a crusader’s tomb she shot at Salisbury Cathedral. The tomb included a statue of the ancient warrior, in full armor. “At the edge of his feet is his trusty dog,” she pointed out.
In another favorite photo, she captured the image of a second photographer who seemed to be taking a picture of her, just as she shot of photo of him, framed by the massive boulders of Stonehenge.
As many travelers know, any kind of journey can be tiring. But improving your fitness level – through exercise – can give you more stamina.
“It’s become part of my life,” 74-year-old JoAnne Rygiel of Wyoming said Tuesday morning after taking part in a yoga class led by instructor Geeta Prasad at the Odyssey Fitness Center in Wilkes-Barre.
Rygiel credits the deep breathing and stretches of the Eastern discipline, which she has studied for three years, with bringing her blood pressure down to 116/80 and helping her feel good all over.
“Mainly to reduce stress,” David Zeveney, 68, of the Hanover section of Nanticoke said, explaining why he takes the class. “It’s a great way to stretch your hamstrings and everything else.”
“It’s very good for you,” confirmed Prasad, the instructor, who is 67 and lives in Pittston. She credits yoga with keeping her asthma under control – “I only use the inhaler when I’m around a dog or dust.” – as well as sparing her the need for surgery to remove varicose veins.
“I just wish more young people would come to the class,” she said. “Sometimes they think you have to jump up and down and sweat buckets to do any good.”
The deep, controlled breathing of yoga brings more oxygen into your bloodstream, which helps rid the body of toxins, Prasad explained. But to get benefits from yoga, she said, you must practice regularly, not just once in awhile.
The oldest student in her Tuesday-morning class, 91-year-old Mary Misewich of Wilkes-Barre, takes that advice to heart, attending yoga several times a week, along with other classes at the Odyssey.
In fact, immediately after yoga ended, Misewich rushed off to the “Silver and Fit” class that combined aerobics, handheld weights and “zigzagging through a ladder” that was actually a mat on the floor that looked like a ladder.
“It’s all designed to keep their minds sharp,” said instructor Mary Majikes of Wilkes-Barre, who just turned 50 herself and knows the benefits of staying active.
Carol and Tony Caravaggio of Wilkes-Barre pass around a ball as they take part in a ‘Fit & Silver’ class at Odyssey Fitness Center.
“Flexibility is key to that age group,” said Pat Reilly of Downtown Dojo in Wilkes-Barre, who has taught martial arts to individuals well into their 60s. “It keeps your muscles strong, and you’re less likely to be injured.”
Older people needn’t worry they’ll be expected to throw opponents to the ground, or be thrown themselves, when they sign up for a martial arts.
“If you’re 16, you can fall and bounce back up. Not so much when you’re 60,” said Reilly, 43, who designs more gentle workouts for older students.
A gentle and artistic time is just what Essy Davidowitz, 77, of Kingston, is looking for when she has twice-weekly private ballroom dance lessons with Raphael and Lauren Cooper from Arts YOUniverse – sometimes on the same day she has a harp lesson with Peabody Conservatory graduate Megan Davis.
“They have such beautiful souls,” she said of her three young teachers.
On a recent afternoon, Raphael and Lauren Cooper demonstrated a waltz; then Raphael danced with Davidowitz, who said the exercise helps combat some difficulties she has with balance.
“We learn from Essy, too,” said Lauren Cooper, 28. “She’ll give us advice about life and marriage and loving what you do. We always leave feeling good.”
Davidowitz returned the compliment. “They are so full of positive energy and so enthused about life, you just want to emulate them,” she said, sounding very enthusiastic herself. “They make you feel more alive.”
