It’s 10 a.m. on a Friday, and Carolyn Barr is decked out in a bright blue and white T-shirt with matching striped headband. She’s getting ready to lead the second group exercise class of the day at the Winsted City Hall. Chairs are spread out in semi-circle rows. Tall windows at the back of the room face Winsted Lake, where the sun is sparkling off the water.
As participants trickle in, Carolyn greets them with enthusiasm. She’s welcoming and warm, excited by her dream retirement “job” as a volunteer exercise teacher.
“I love to dance and love music,” said Carolyn, who plays upbeat hits to set the mood for aerobics. “This is such a good group of seniors who are always happy to be here and always willing to work hard. It’s fun to be their leader.”
The group marches around the room, lifts arm and leg weights, balances next to chairs and does crunches. Exercises can be done standing or sitting. There are some laughs and some sweating. It’s a good workout in a fun and relaxed environment.
Winsted launched this exercise program two and a half years ago. It started with one class on Mondays and Fridays. Within 5 months it was so popular, they needed to start a second class.
They use a format called Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL). It’s an evidence-based strength, balance and fitness program for adults 65 and older. In Winsted, some of the class participants are 90 or better.
“I’m almost 90, and I just love it,” said Barb Parpart.
Barb started coming because of her friend Shirley, who quips, “Instead of sweating to the oldies, you’re sweating with the oldies.”
Starting Winsted SAIL classes
Winsted’s population, like the rest of our region, has a lot of older adults. Southwest Minnesota leads the state in percentage of population age 85 or better, according to data from Minnesota Compass. In Winsted, people age 55+ make up 38.8 percent of the community.
Local residents participated in the Age Friendly Communities program, a grant-funded effort focused on productive aging and community engagement. From that, Winsted created a part-time Community Coordinator position and a committee was formed. At one of the committee meetings, Ecumen RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) Project Manager Sarah Tarleton spoke about the SAIL exercise program. Within 3 months, the Winsted SAIL class was on its way.
“We had 21 on the first day and now we have over 100 participants,” Carolyn said. “We always have 25 to 35 people per class.”
In September, Winsted launched a third class. This makes room for the people who have patiently been on a waiting list to jump in and start exercising. Carolyn and Elaine Olson are the two trained volunteer leaders who teach classes and do the behind-the-scenes work. They also have 7 volunteer team members who are trained instructors and they rotate between classes helping lead different sections of the class such as strength, balance, and aerobics.
What to expect at class
“When I talk to people who are interested in joining, I lay out what we do in the 1-hour class, and then I always tell them a big part of this class is the socializing. This group is a mixture of people from Winsted, Lester Prairie, Howard Lake, and Waverly. Besides having fun conversations with people they already know, they are getting to know people from neighboring towns,” Carolyn said, underscoring the importance of relationships in active aging.
After the last class, participants put away supplies and linger to chat a bit. Vollmer Room, where they exercise, was formerly an event space in Winsted City Hall that could be rented out. Now it’s serving as the town’s senior center, with a puzzle set up on a table to the side and stacks of pamphlets with resources and information.
“City hall has let us have our room free. We’ve had lots of good support. It amazes me that there’s not one of these groups in every town. I’m 86 and this has been so good for me,” said Elaine, who leads strength training. “We are just blessed to have so many good people who are willing to help.”
Funding for productive aging
Ecumen RSVP supports Winsted’s SAIL class as well as 15 other locations in Chippewa, McLeod, Meeker, Renville, Kandiyohi and Swift counties. RSVP offers those age 55 and older the opportunity to use their life experiences and skills in service to their neighbors in need.
Grants are important to keep SAIL up and running in our region. Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging provides operational funding, and Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) recently made a grant to purchase supplies like body weights and training materials for leaders.
“This investment allows us to continue providing free, high-quality health and wellness programming for older adults, led by trained RSVP volunteers. We are grateful for Southwest Initiative Foundation’s support and commitment to improving lives across southwest Minnesota,” said Donna Whitcomb Program Director Ecumen RSVP.
For Nancy Fasching, who is both a Winsted resident and Vice President of Community Impact for SWIF, the impact is easy to see.
“With its robust following, the Winsted group is an example of the amazing spirit of our region. It has proven results physically, and the social results are apparent!” Nancy said.
The Paul and Alma Schwan Aging Trust Fund
Grant funding for SAIL classes was made possible by our Paul and Alma Schwan Aging Trust Endowment Fund, a designated fund established in 1990 with a generous gift from Marvin Schwan in honor of his parents. The Aging Trust Fund maximizes the social and economic contributions of elders throughout southwest Minnesota by keeping them well and engaged in community life.
