Though Bend is home to some seriously fit seniors (which is either inspiring or depressing, depending on your own relative age and athleticism), until recently there was a gap in fitness services for the 50-plus set.
Enter Cascade Boomer Fitness.
Last year, David Adamson and his wife Cynda saw a need for exercise classes and fitness coaching for older adults and started offering small group fitness classes that incorporate a wide range of activities and an awareness of the physical needs and limitations of that age group.
"We knew there would be interest in a small group fitness class that wasn't just focused on developing tight buns and six-pack abs like you find in the McGyms or, at the other extreme, assumes un-young people are too fragile to do anything more physically demanding than waltzing around with two pound dumbbells," Adamson says. "Strange as it sounds, some programs designed for older adults are too easy for them to be very effective. We realized there are plenty of 50-plus people who seek more challenging activities because they are still very much alive and kicking."
One way Cascade Boomer Fitness channels this joie de vivre is through the Younger Games. Inspired by the wildly popular book and film series The Hunger Games, it offers a light-hearted but hardworking challenge that helps participants find their youthful vigor.
"Just like in the movie, the Younger Games is about meeting challenges and surviving hard workouts while having fun. The name is tongue-in-cheek. Exercise is work, but fun and humor make it easier," Adamson explains. "Sometimes we do drills you'd see at the NFL or in military physical training, but we laugh about it, knowing we aren't as young, strong or skilled as young people who do them every day. That itself is pretty funny."
The couple is well equipped to guide their peers through the fit life. David is an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer with a certification in senior fitness and was the chief executive of a primary care organization prior to moving to Bend. Cynda is also a certified personal trainer with a certification in functional fitness. Both have been active throughout their lives—David as a competitive athlete and Cynda as a dancer.
Learn more about Cascade Boomer Fitness and check out their blog for tips on 50-plus fitness at cascadeboomerfitness.com.
