Food, Fitness, and Friendship: Second Harvest’s Holistic Approach to Healthy Aging

Ten chairs are arranged in a circle. Colorful silky scarves are draped on their backs, and pairs of hand and leg weights are placed underneath. Eight women aged 64 to 83 filter in for the next-to-last session of Stay Strong, Stay Healthy (SSSH), a community-based exercise program offered by Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina. The eight-week workshop is aimed at older adults to help them maintain strength, balance and flexibility, ultimately enhancing their overall health and independence.

Emily Martin, a nutrition educator with Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, greets each woman by name with a friendly smile. Together with trainee Jamille Downey she will lead women through an hour of stretches and strengthening exercises. For Emily and for Second Harvest, exercise and nutrition go hand in hand in building strong and healthy communities.

“It is so important for seniors,” says Emily. “This is an evidence-based holistic approach to maintaining healthy lifestyles as we age. There are not enough programs that combine both exercise and nutrition to address age-related wellness.”

Developed at the University of Missouri in 2005, Stay Strong, Stay Healthy is particularly beneficial for reducing the risk of falls, improving mobility, and preventing conditions like frailty and osteoporosis.

The women in Emily’s SSSH class (a male participant had to drop out early on) have had knee, ankle and back surgeries. They have diabetes, arthritis, low bone density and other age-related physical impairments. Now they are among more than 20,000 older adults across several states who have been helped by SHSS in the last two decades.

To sustain the evidence-based approach participants are assessed on overall strength, balance, mobility and flexibility before and after the eight weeks. Emily’s class assessments align with results collected through the years.

“Almost everyone improved on every task, and everyone improved on one or more tasks,” she reports. “These are incredible women.”

Emily says assessment results are secondary to supporting each participant’s experience. “The main objective is improvement, and this happens organically over 90 percent of the time for all participants just by coming to class and doing the work.”

Emily’s “incredible women” include:

• Carol Hermann, who reports better posture and improvement in the ability to reach, making everyday household tasks easier. “I can sit down and get up using better form. There is strength in that,” she says.

• Marianne Hale, who has been diagnosed with bone loss, has previously tried gym-based weight-training machines. She appreciated the more welcoming class setting and the use of light weights to strengthen her bones. “And I feel more flexible,” she says, “all the way down to my toes.”

• Amelia Johnson, who has an arthritic knee, was unable to perform some of the exercises without modification. “Emily was able to tailor the exercises to each student, so even though I cannot lift my legs, I was able to keep participating.”

• Barbare Schneeloch, an octogenarian who lives independently, gained the strength to continue travelling with her daughter and to perform once-difficult gardening tasks. “Emily treats this class almost as a one-on-one experience,” she says. “If you can’t do that, you can do this. We were all able to do something on most of the exercises.”

The women also appreciated the nutrition component of the SSSH program, which focuses on practical dietary changes that can enhance the benefits of the physical exercises. Topics might include the importance of protein intake for muscle repair, calcium and vitamin D for bone health, and balanced meals to sustain energy throughout the day.

“As we age, we are not as thirsty, our appetites are diminished,” Emily says."Our receptors become slower, and that can result in dehydration and poor nutrition.”

She coaches the women on easy ways to incorporate more protein and suggests eating small meals or snacks throughout the day. Each week she prepared and shared recipes that correlated with the nutrition lessons.

“She spoils us with treats and recipes,” says Marianne. “I am more conscious of what I eat, and it has helped me cut out sugar.”

One of Emily’s treats was trail mix with cranberries and nuts. “I eat a pack of it every day,” says Barbara, adding that Emily introduced her to healthy foods she never would have found on her own. “Ancient grains like couscous and quinoa. Lentils – I love lentils! Instead of an egg and toast for breakfast every day now I have steel-cut oats with blueberries,” she shares.

While good nutrition and exercise are essential for maintaining overall health and independence, Emily says safeguarding mental health is equally important. According to the World Health Organization approximately 14 percent of adults aged 60 and over live with a mental disorder. Fortunately, the structure of Stay Strong, Stay Healthy contributes to mental health through exercise and social interaction.

“Exercise is an under-prescribed therapy for anxiety and depression,” Emily says. “Plus, twice a week for eight weeks these ladies are getting out of the house and interacting with others; I could just see that it made them happy.”

Around the circle in the next-to-last class, the hour is punctuated with laughter and jokes. It is obvious the women have gotten to know each other and enjoy being together.

Barbara says socializing was a major attraction for joining. “It’s good to get out of your comfort zone,” she says. “I loved seeing some of the people come out of their shells and blossom. It brought tears to my eyes.”

Carol says the women came from different backgrounds to connect with and support one another. “It was just fun,” she adds.

Emily says Stay Strong, Stay Healthy has been “an incredible transition” for the eight women who came together in a circle for eight weeks.  “It has improved their lives in every way: in spirit, mind and body,” she says.

It has also supported Second Harvest’s mission to build a stronger Northwest North Carolina.

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