At the time Jane moved into Medford Leas, she experienced a general weakness that was a result of surgery. She needed to strengthen her legs and to work on her balance due to an inner ear problem. After consultation with the Medical Department, she began with Genesis Rehab Therapy for a month and then was eased into a specially-designed program by the Fitness and Aquatics staff, who continue to adjust to her needs.

Jane now attends balance class which she finds lots of fun.  “I’m one of about 25 people and we kid with Ken (Roland) and Rick (Trandahl), and laugh at some of the dumb things we do.  The fellowship of the group is one of the main reasons people keep coming and, as a bonus, they do find they improve.  “Personally, I still don’t stand on one foot more than one or two seconds,” she continued, “but some people are very good at it.” She has learned to grip the floor with her toes and walk with her heels first. “I need the balance ability to go up and down steps, because I previously used to panic when I faced the prospect of going down stairs.”

According to Ken, Jane has caught the fitness bug. “I’ve seen such an improvement in her health because she is seriously dedicated to her program – and she enjoys the people, too.  I don’t think she worked out much before coming here, but once she began, she tried so hard using the bike and treadmill and going to balance class that she really found success,” he added. “If she doesn’t do her workouts, she notices it almost immediately.”

“When my mom was in a CCRC in Orlando,” Jane related, “she never exercised. She had no complaints about her surroundings and everything was beautiful. But they could not get her to exercise, and she ended up hardly able to walk.”