Café Launches Summer Wellness Academy as One of Many Healthy Opportunities
Chicago , IL – August 10, 2005 – With over 6,800 visits from Chicago area older adults per month, Mather’s—More Than a Cafés are experiencing tremendous participation in their fitness and wellness programs. All four of Mather’s Chicago locations offer a wide variety of healthy options to older adults including cardiovascular and weight lifting machines, health screenings, workshops, wellness seminars and over 116 fitness classes per month.
Lucy Cervantes, a Mather’s on Central customer of three years says, “My three sisters and I take a gentle yoga class every week. After the first class it was amazing how good we felt. Before I started taking yoga, I suffered from carpal tunnel and was scheduled for surgery; since taking yoga the pain is gone and at 77 I feel terrific! Mather’s offers the latest classes, easy access, a low price and the camaraderie of working out with my peers. Almost every day a fitness class is offered at Mather’s, and I love enjoying a free cup of coffee or meal with friends after a great workout.”
“Mather LifeWays focuses on helping older adults find Ways to Age Well, and wellness is about striving to achieve the optimum state of health and well-being that each person is capable of reaching. Mather’s can assist each person in meeting their goals,” says Beedie Jones, Café Manager of Mather’s at Chatham . To help introduce older adults to healthy physical activity habits, the Mather’s at Chatham location offers a fully equipped Fitness Center featuring cardiovascular and strength training equipment. New members are given a fitness evaluation, an individualized exercise program, as well as a program orientation.
Randi Klebanoff, Manager, Wellness Initiatives, has been at the Mather’s at Chatham since they opened their doors to the community in March of 2004. She works with individuals to assess their level of fitness and helps them develop a fitness program that addresses their unique health and fitness goals. “Many of the older adults who visit once become regulars in the fitness center,” says Klebanoff. “Many of our members come in with chronic health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and arthritis. Within weeks they have increased their strength, endurance and functional ability.”
The three Mather’s—More Than a Cafés on the North side also offer diverse fitness classes, walking groups and health screenings and seminars. All of the Mather’s locations offer PACE (People with Arthritis Can Exercise) classes, strength training, gentle yoga, general exercise and Jazzercise classes.
Fitness class fees are nominal and there are even more ways to save, including becoming a Mather’s Advantage Member and saving 20% on all programs and meals at all Mather’s locations. Benefits of joining the fitness center annually include two free guest passes to “Share the Health” and four free exercise classes.
Mather’s—More Than a Café is a modern and unique place for older adults living at home to convene, socialize and stay connected to the community. With four locations in Chicago and another in Des Plaines that offer over 300 classes a month, social and fitness programs, dining, and cultural seminars available to the community, Mather’s—More Than a Cafe not only connects older adults with similar interests, they often reunite friendships and spark new relationships.
Mather’s—More Than a Café Locations
- Mather’s at Chatham
33 E. 83 rd St. ; 773-488-2801
- Mather’s at Portage Cragin
3235 N. Central Avenue ; 773-205-3300
- Mather’s at Norwood Park
7134 W. Higgins Avenue ; 773-774-4804
- Mather’s at Galewood/Montclare
2376 N. Neva Avenue ; 773-622-9770
Who is Mather LifeWays?
Mather LifeWays is a 50+-year-old, not-for-profit organization committed to creating Ways to Age Well. Mather LifeWays demonstrates its commitment to promoting the vitality and well-being of older adults by providing a variety of experiences and services to meet this diverse group’s lifestyle preferences. These offerings include senior residences, research and education and community programs. Mather LifeWays’ senior residences offer choices and flexibility, from independent living to assisted living and skilled care. The Institute on Aging plays a leading role in enhancing the lives of older adults in today’s society through numerous collaborative and applied research and education projects. Mather LifeWays’ Community Initiatives programs, including the successful Mather’s – More Than a Café concept, enable Mather LifeWays to act as a point of contact for older adults who seek access to community resources. These accomplishments, and more, make Mather LifeWays unique in its goal to advance the possibilities for a lifetime of Ways to Age Well. The organization is based in Evanston , Ill. More information is available at www.matherlifeways.com .
###