MANITOUWADGE — A new program will soon get seniors moving mindfully in Manitouwadge.
Debbie Arola is introducing tai chi to the Golden Age Centre, starting Thursday, Jan. 18 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm.
The exercises are free-of-charge and open to anyone in the community aged 50 plus.
Arola studied under Master Peng You for many years in Thunder Bay before receiving her certification in 2019, which has allowed her to instruct classes of her own for the past three years.
Prior to studying under Master Peng, Arola said there used to be a gentleman who taught tai chi in Manitouwadge who she learned from – but her curiosity about correct forms and movement led her to Thunder Bay to learn more.
“I’ve always been a person interested in my own health. I’d do a lot of on-my-own walking, skiing, and running before this all started happening. I’ve always enjoyed tai chi,” she said.
“I promote the idea of not just doing the things like I do – cross-country skiing and things like that – but also tai chi for what it does for your whole body. It’s not so much cardiac but for your mind, for your joints and muscles. It’s wonderful and definitely enhances any other activities that you would like to do.
"Again, especially as a senior you want to make sure that everything is working well before you do something very active.”
Although she has taught tai chi before, Arola said that this new class is more of an introduction for people and is a lot more focused on how tai chi can improve your health.
“I have taken the qigong that I’ve learned and was certified in – which is normally a standing form – and I have adapted that to a seated form so that seniors who are maybe unable to stand for long could be seated through at least a portion of the program or all of the program.
"The qigong is slow-moving, it involves your breath, you are moving your arms and your joints up and down, in and out. The way I have adapted the seating one definitely helps if people are not able to do the turns and the balancing that you have to have when you’re doing different forms of tai chi. This way, people can do these slow yet beneficial movements without strain or stress.”
And Arola is no stranger to the seniors of Manitouwadge.
This year, she also started leading a senior’s exercise program at the Rec Centre in town.
Maleta Boyd, president of the Golden Age Centre, saw that Arola was leading senior’s exercises and approached her about introducing tai chi.
Boyd said that she and the board of directors at the Golden Age Centre work hard to bring a multitude of fun activities and events to the older adults in town.
“It’s not just me – I have a beautiful board, a very helpful board. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them,” Boyd said.
Every board member leads a program, allowing each of them to invest in sharing their talents and interests with seniors and other adults in the community based on their own skillsets.
All members of the board are volunteers.
Other than tai chi classes, some other events hosted at the Golden Age Centre include line dancing, pool games, socials with homemade soup and sandwiches or potluck, shuffleboard, card-making, darts, card game nights, and Saturday night music gatherings where local musicians can bring their own instruments and play for attendees.
Needless to say, Manitouwadge is a happening place to be a senior.
“Actually, it’s kind of funny because some of the seniors don’t even refer to it as music night now, some of them refer to it saying, ‘are you going to the dance on Saturday?’ To see the seniors up and dancing, the smiles on their faces when they get up is just a blessing,” Boyd said.
She added that they can see anywhere from 20 to 40 people at their music nights, while other events have brought in upwards of 60.
“There’s always new things happening.”
Arola said she is thankful to have spaces like the Golden Age Centre and the Rec Centre. Those spaces are particularly crucial for seniors during the winter months.
“It’s hard to be out in the winter time as a senior. It’s cold, it’s icy, the chance of a fall is high, so to have something indoors where people are able to do activities, have social time together, improve their mental health as well as their physical health, well I like to do that,” Arola said.
Now, adding tai chi to the list of what is offered at the Golden Age Centre is sure to be a big draw.
“I’d encourage anyone and everyone to at least give it a try for all the benefits that I mentioned – their physical well-being and mental well-being – it can really make a difference.”
