with husband Howard and four generations of the family.
I am firmly convinced that the Alper JCC fitness center saved my mother’s life.
In 2011 my healthy, active 70-something mother started falling out of bed — not falling while getting out of bed, but landing on the floor while sound asleep. After four falls mom had severely injured her back. She was in constant pain, confined to bed and in a wheel chair.
The only place she could find relief was in the pool. Early one cold January morning in sheer desperation it struck me that the JCC had a heated pool. I wheeled her out to the empty pool deck, put on her flotation belt and managed to get her into the pool.
We floated around for a few minutes and suddenly people began to appear. People she knew. To our surprise, a water aerobics class broke out around us. To my further amazement, she jumped right in and began participating. She chatted with the group as they worked out with weights and water resistance. She was hooked.
From that day on she rarely missed the three-day-a-week water aerobics class. As her strength increased, she started participating in other classes, using fitness center equipment and baking in the sauna.
Now she spends the entire morning at the JCC fitness center three days a week — an hour-and-a-half in the pool, an hour on the bike and a quick shower before coming over to babysit for her new great grandchild.
My mother is back. She is active and enjoying life.
I know there are other people out there that could change their lives at the Alper JCC fitness center, and there are countless more who already exercise regularly who don’t know what an incredible facility they are missing.
The J is so confident that you’ll love the newly designed fitness center that they are currently offering a free two-week trial membership to anyone who contacts the membership office at 305-271-9000, ext. 235 by Friday, Apr. 5. Plus they’ve waived the registration fee if you join before the trial membership expires.
The 5,000-square-foot spotless facility is totally up to date with Cybex Arc Trainers (a high calorie burning non-elliptical cross trainer that is safe for high intensity workouts), Expresso virtual reality bikes, a full line of new cardio equipment with built-in TVs, True Strider TS1 Cross Trainers (the first and only non impact running machine), aerodynamically designed True recumbent bikes, True treadmills and tons (literally) of new weight equipment for every level of fitness.
There are Precor ellipticals and Stairmasters; Cybex upper body ergometer; Concept II rowers and a multi-station modular Cybex cable cross unit. I am already exhausted.
But wait, there’s more: Heated outdoor swimming pool; 2,500- square-foot aerobics studio with wood floor and mirrored walls; custom-designed spinning room; and tennis, racquetball and basketball courts.
Membership includes consultation with professional fitness trainers; free aerobics and step classes; group cycling; yoga; mat pilates and circuit training classes.
There’s free supervised on-site childcare while using the facilities; priority tennis and racquetball reservations; men’s and women’s lounges, locker rooms and showers with towels and toiletries; and sauna, steam room and whirlpool.
The hours are astonishing. They are open weekdays from 5:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m.to 5 p.m. People are actually there at 5:45 a.m. and 10 p.m.
SilverSneakers, offered to Medicare members of Blue Cross/Blue Shield Health Options, Humana and CarePlus, provides its members with an Alper JCC membership at no additional cost.
For more information contact the membership office at 305-271-9000, ext. 235, or log on to www.alperjcc.org
