Riderwood Fitness Manager Works Out With Residents All Year Round

Silver Spring, MD -- Riderwood Fitness Manager Paula Butler works out with residents at Riderwood, an Erickson Living developed and managed community in Silver Spring, MD, every day either in the onsite fitness center and at exercise classes.

"Our group exercise programs at Riderwood are very popular with our residents, especially the mind-body classes like Tai Chi and Yoga," said Butler. "We also added a new "bootcamp" class in response to residents wanting a morning class that included equal parts strength training, flexibility, balance and cardiovascular exercises. Our residents are very active and enjoy exercising."

To meet the health and wellness needs of the 2500 residents at Riderwood, construction is currently underway for a Wellness Center, a two-story, 25,000 square-foot fitness and aquatic center.

Butler share some fitness tips below for both residents and staff at Riderwood:

• Start slow- it's easy to get carried away when starting a new exercise program, but doing too much too soon can result in injury. Small steps can make a big difference.
• Do something every day. Exercise doesn't need to be in one big chunk to provide benefits. If you can manage just five minutes at a time of strategic movement, daily efforts will lead to improvements over time.
• Vary the workouts. Incorporating different modalities of exercise will give you the most bang for your buck. There are so many ways to improve strength, mobility, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. Find activities you enjoy doing and would actually look forward to and make them a priority. Also, try something new every once in a while to challenge your body and your brain.
• Ask for help. If you don't know where to start, or don't seem to be making any progress in your current program, enlist the help of a fitness professional. They can offer ideas about safe exercises that will help you meet your goals.

Photo: Riderwood Fitness Manager Paula Butler in the Riderwood Fitness Center. (Chris Taydus)

About Riderwood: Riderwood, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities developed and managed by Erickson Living^®, is situated on a scenic 120-acre campus in Silver Spring, Maryland. The not-for-profit community of more than 2500 residents is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community. Riderwood is located in Montgomery County. Additional information about Riderwood can be found at Riderwood.com