EnhanceFitness in Kilauea recruiting

KILAUEA — Seniors 60 and older who live on the North Shore are encouraged to sign up for the EnhanceFitness program, which started at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center earlier this week.

EnhanceFitness is a group exercise program that’s designed for both active and frail older adults. It focuses on balance, strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Classes are held Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

Teaching the class is Debbie Lankford, a certified fitness instructor.

Five other program sites, including Kaumakani, Kekaha, Koloa, Lihu‘e and Waimea, are completely full, but a waitlist is being maintained.

Naomi Sugihara, program specialist with the Agency on Elderly Affairs, said that since the program’s implementation last year, all of the participants have shown improvement in at least one or more of the following areas: agility, balance, or upper and lower body strength.

Fitness checks are conducted when someone begins the program and again at four-month intervals.

“We’re very excited about the results we’ve been seeing,” Sugihara said, adding that regular physical activity can also help older adults to reduce their risk of developing chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and depression, or help them to manage these chronic diseases.

The EnhanceFitness program was developed and tested by researchers at the University of Washington in collaboration with Senior Services and Group Health Cooperative.

Funding for the program is provided through a grant from the U.S. Administration on Aging, which is administered by the state Executive Office on Aging.

Hawai‘i is one of 16 states that received funding from the administration to develop programs that empower older adults to take control of their health.

For more information, call 241-4470.