Wellington Bay Seniors Stay Energized And Engaged Through Fitness Classes

Nothing makes Melissa Clark’s day better than hearing from residents at the Wellington Bay senior living community and its Lisbet Health Center, who tell her they can walk straighter, lift their arms higher, feel more upbeat and are seeing an improvement in their balance, strength, mobility, agility, endurance and overall fitness.

Clark, who is the wellness director at the luxury senior living community in Wellington, strives to offer a wealth of different exercise and fitness classes to help residents stay engaged and continue to lead healthy, happy lives no matter what their age, fitness level or level of care in which they live.

Wellington Bay offers 26 exercise classes each week for independent living and multiple classes each week for residents in the attached Lisbet Health Center’s assisted living and memory care facility.

“We keep a well-rounded and robust calendar so residents can work on all dimensions of wellness,” said Clark, who has been the wellness director since the community opened in 2022.

The classes, including mat or chair yoga, line dancing, mindful movement, functional fitness, water walking, water aerobics, barre balance, Pilates, strength training and more, are focused on helping residents improve their balance, strength, cardio fitness, agility, mobility and flexibility.

As a baseline, each resident completes a physical assessment before embarking on an exercise and fitness program. “I sit down with each resident to evaluate all those elements of overall physical fitness,” Clark said. “When they do this assessment, they can evaluate for themselves what they want to work on. We talk about their fitness goals and how they can achieve those goals.”

Depending on their objectives, Clark suggests classes that residents should consider taking and recommends ways they can hold themselves accountable to their objectives.

Classes are scheduled and printed on a monthly calendar so residents can plan which they want to attend. The courses are offered on a drop-in basis, so Clark customizes each class to the fitness needs of the residents who show up. “It’s really important to teach to who is in the room rather than to follow a rigid plan,” she said.

Classes in independent living are generally more challenging — so much so that people from outside the community have praised the workouts. “People’s adult children will come to a class, and they say to their parents, ‘Oh. That was hard,’” Clark said.

Clark’s deep knowledge of yoga, breathwork and mind-body techniques help residents in all levels of care to manage stress and promote overall well-being. “You’re never too old to move and improve at whatever level you are,” she said.

Clark, who has extensive experience as a teacher and motivator in the fitness field, is passionate about helping people live their lives to the fullest.

Building bonds with residents and seeing them reach their goals is one of the best parts of her job. “I love what I do, and the heart of my work is fostering meaningful connections with our residents,” she said.

Wellington Bay is a rental retirement community on a palm tree-shaded campus in Wellington. Visit www.wellingtonbayfl.com to learn more.