Great Lakes Athletic Club (GLAC) and the Orion Senior Center have developed a partnership that will benefit area senior citizens who are looking for a chance to get active without hurting their wallets.
GLAC will offer members of the senior center a three-month membership for $20, to be able to use the club on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m-1 p.m., for $3 per visit.
This offer runs April-June, starting on April 5, and GLAC general manager Steve Pawlak said they will then evaluate how successful the partnership was to see if another three-month membership will be offered.
Pawlak gave tours of GLAC to interested seniors on March 10 and March 23, and so far about 30 people have signed up for the program. Pawlak plans to have two personal trainers working with the group, and will offer a circuit training class for their age bracket.
‘We have about $1 million worth of equipment that you can use,? he told the group on March 23, adding that one of the personal trainers who will be working with the group works with seniors on regaining their balance.
‘The program will be limited now to the Orion Senior Center….this will be our test market,? Pawlak said. ‘We might then expand it to other centers in the area.?
Seniors will have their pick of a water class in GLAC’s indoor pool, which is always heated to 80-85 degrees, or the circuit training class, which will involve different pieces of equipment.
The classes will be 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
‘You can choose one class, or you can flip flop days and do both,? Pawlak said.
Or, if they chose, seniors can just swim, jog, play racquetball or any of the other activities the club offers for the two hours.
Pawlak said for the first two weeks of the program, he will make sure a lot of staff is on hand to answer questions and show seniors how to use the various pieces of equipment.
‘We’ll give you some brief orientations so you know how to run the machines,? he said.
Pawlak said seniors will also have the opportunity to go into some of the other classes GLAC offers during the time frame they will be there.
‘You have that time frame to use it how you want to,? he said. ‘You have membership privileges during that time frame.?
If a senior is already a member at GLAC, they can still join the group on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but they don’t have to pay any additional costs.
‘This is exciting for us because I have about 30 people already interested in this program,? Pawlak said. ‘At the end of the three months, we’ll have the opportunity to offer other classes. It will be based upon participation.?
Seniors in the program are also invited to stay and have lunch at the Great Lakes Bread Company, where they will receive 10 percent off their bill.
Besides certified personal trainers, GLAC also has Red Cross certified lifeguards at their indoor and outdoor pools (outdoor pool opens Memorial Day).
St. Joe’s Mercy also has a center for physical therapy and rehabilitation at GLAC, and there is an indoor golf training center, and opening soon, Schenden’s Spa at the Lake will open a spa there.
The North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA) will provide transportation from the senior center to GLAC for the program for seniors who need it. Seniors who don’t need to use the service can just meet at GLAC on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Great Lakes Athletic Club is located at 3800 Baldwin Road. For more information about the program, call the Orion Senior Center at 693-2066, or GLAC at 393-3085.