For the residents in Joanne Lucas’ fitness class at Glenwood Village in Riverhead, age is nothing but a number.
Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon since late September, about 20 residents from the 55-and-over community gather in the village clubhouse for 45 minutes of strength and balance training — lifting weights, working muscles and, in some cases, rebuilding abilities they thought were gone for good.
At the center of the group ranging in age from 59 to 95, is Ms. Lucas, 65, a former figure bodybuilder who volunteers her time teaching the class.
“Some of them came in with walkers or couldn’t stand up out of a chair. Now they’re doing squats with dumbbells,” she said.
For older adults, strength and balance aren’t just about fitness — they’re vital to staying independent and avoiding the kinds of falls that can change lives overnight.
In Ms. Lucas’ class, called Strength Training and Balance with a Chair, seniors work out to music with happy but determined faces as they move through each set. Some participants bring their own weights. Others use the equipment available. All of them keep moving.
“I’ve gotten stronger with my legs and my arms,” said Linda Stumpf, 75, before a workout Tuesday. “I’ve learned about working the core. If we do something wrong, she expresses it, she corrects us. She’s wonderful.”
Ms. Stumpf positioned herself in the front row, lifting steadily through each exercise as the class moved in rhythm.
“We’ve learned so much from her about exercising and doing it properly,” said Ms. Stumpf. “When I leave this class, I feel energized. The best I feel throughout the whole week is after these classes.”
Donna DellaValle, 70, has been coming since Ms. Lucas first started teaching the class.
“I’ve been doing things now that I haven’t done in 30 years,” said Ms. DellaValle. “I’ve lost 30 pounds, my blood sugar went down. She’s just great. All seniors should do this because it makes such a difference in your life.”
Ms. Lucas’ path to the front of the room started decades ago. She grew up in Oakdale and began figure skating at age 3, sticking with it through seventh grade before pivoting to gymnastics. That eventually led her to Pennsylvania Western University/Clarion on a scholarship.
She graduated in 1983 with a degree in early childhood and elementary education. She then moved to Groton, Conn., where she taught kindergarten in a child care center. A few years later, she returned to Long Island and opened her own center in East Islip, Watchful I Child Care Center.
Then came a dramatic shift. In the early 1990s, she sold the business and moved to New Zealand. For three of the six years she lived there, she competed as a figure bodybuilder, traveling internationally for competitions.
“Most girls compete in one contest a year. For three years, I did five to six,” said Ms. Lucas. “I ended up with the women’s sports ambassador award for the country because of my reputation in the sport.”
She competed in Spain, Prague, Germany and Australia before rupturing her appendix. In 1999, she also became a mother, giving birth to her son, Dalton — a turning point that ended her competitive career.
She returned to Long Island, settling in Jamesport in 2000. Her son is now a member of the Jamesport Fire Department and runs Lucas Built LLC, a local excavation, drainage and trucking company.
Ms. Lucas then became a personal trainer; the Glenwood Village class came about almost by accident.
Her mother, Barbara Klein, lives in the community. When Ms. Lucas heard residents were looking for a yoga instructor, she knew that wasn’t her lane. She didn’t know a thing about yoga, but she knew weightlifting, and decided to “teach them something better.”
“I’ve come full circle, from early childhood to now, I’m working with seniors,” Ms. Lucas said. “I really, really enjoy it.”
She tailors the moves in her class to each person. She helps residents choose appropriate weights, pushes them gently when they can handle more and teaches proper form, breathing and nutrition.
The lessons go beyond exercise.
She also teaches them about safety in their homes, specifically what to do if they fall. She even demonstrates techniques for them.
“Seniors think they have to stay the way they are. That’s why this is so important to get out in the community, because it works,” she said. “We play music, and we laugh a lot. It’s a really, really good class.”
