Seniors living with lung disease in the Windsor area now have a way to keep healthy.
Fitness for Breath is a program developed by the Ontario Lung Association and it's now being offered at two Life After Fifty locations.
It's a low impact exercise program that helps people with conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD.
A demonstration was held Thursday at the Life After Fifty location at the WFCU Centre.
Ontario Lung Association spokesperson Daniella Shurgold, November 21, 2019 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
Manager of Corporate Partnerships with the Ontario Lung Association, Daniella Shurgold, says the program is a way to make life better for people who are on oxygen.
"Often times people living with chronic conditions find themselves tired and more out of breath and they feel like they shouldn't be exercising" says Shurgold. "When in fact, it's been proven it's the opposite. Cardiovascular exercise is excellent for people living with chronic lung conditions and actually has been proven to help them improve their quality of life."
She says the program has been designed for people living with significant lung disease conditions.
"We've created this program to work with those who are hooked up to oxygen, who need to be sitting down it" explains Shurgold. "So it is really, it's tailored to people living with chronic lung conditions, specifically in the senior community."
Fitness for Breath participant Giovanna Stasiuk, WFCU Centre, November 21, 2019 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
Giovanna Stasiuk is a participant in the Fitness for Breath program and is glad it is available.
"It keeps me feeling good" says Stasiuk. "I'm able to exercise where I can't do the normal stuff that goes on at any other fitness place."
The Fitness for Breath program at Life After Fifty also receives support from Caesars Windsor Cares.