Thursday, October 1, 2026
79 ° Clear
79 ° Clear
While this winter may be one of the colder and snowier seasons in recent times, members of the Morrisville Senior Servicenter stay warmed up and fit using a popular – and free – chair exercise program on YouTube.
Every Monday and Thursday morning, a group of seniors tune into the “Improved Health” YouTube channel to workout following the virtual instructor on www.youtube.com/@ImprovedHealthChairWorkouts.
“Last year, we wanted to introduce fitness into the center,” explained member Kathie Kirkpatrick, 74, who researched options and found the class on YouTube. “We didn’t want to hire somebody as a fitness instructor. This instructor offers new classes every week. We started with 30 minutes of exercises, now we’re probably up to 45 minutes. We keep trying to increase the time a little bit more. Everybody works at their own pace and it’s a social gathering. It’s a fun thing!”
Improved Health has three levels of exercise options for gentle, beginner, and intermediate levels. One channel is dedicated exclusively to chair exercises. These safe, low-impact exercises are best when using a sturdy chair with back support to reduce fall risk. Set to upbeat chamber music, the chair exercises follow a sequence of warmups, arm and leg raises, neck and back stretches, seated marching for cardio, ankle rotations, knee extensions, and more.
Seniors or anyone with limited mobility or other health conditions affecting balance and movement benefit from chair exercises. According to dailycaring.com, an online resource for seniors and caregivers that offers health and wellness tips, the benefits are many. They include building strength using muscles for better balance and stability, improving flexibility and range of motion, increasing circulation and reducing stress on joints as well as minimizing risks from falls. These exercises can help increase independence with activities of daily living and reduce stiffness from immobility.
Some of the members of the class commented on the physical and social benefits of attending the chair exercise classes. Rita Nekoranik, 90, of Falls Township, attends with her two daughters, Teresa Kerner, 66, of Morrisville and Maria Nekoranik, 67, of Falls Township. Maria said: “I recently retired. I also swim but that’s more solitary. When I come here, I like seeing people and being with my mom.”
Rita said: “Exercise is extremely important at all ages. This class got me back into doing group exercise, and I’m with my daughters and best friend.”
Theresa Bogdan, 91, of Lower Makefield, said: “I find it very invigorating!”
In addition to the chair exercise classes, the Morrisville Senior Servicecenter offers a variety of options for physical and social activities to benefit the members health and wellness.
Bonnie Scheidell, the center’s director said: “We offer a lot of activities that get people out of the house and a chance to socialize and have fun!” For example, Bonnie said members can enjoy weekly line dancing classes or classes for beginner or advanced computer lessons or evening and afternoon bingo games. Bonnie noted that members make crafts, have crochet classes and play Mahjong games and many other regular monthly activities.
“Every month, a representative from Jefferson Health visits to discuss health and wellness topics with our members,” Bonnie said. “We also have special breakfasts and lunches for holidays such as a Christmas luncheon, a Valentine’s breakfast, a Mother’s Day Tea, a ham and cabbage lunch for St. Patrick’s Day and a spaghetti lunch for Father’s Day.”
Another popular biweekly gathering at the center is called “Coffee and Conversation,” said Bonnie. “Every other week, members get together to enjoy coffee and pastries and have casual discussions to share anything that may be going on in their lives.”
Another popular feature at the center is the “Treasure Chest,” said Kathy Shiley, the senior center’s administrative assistant who also runs “Kathy’s Craft” classes for members. Treasure Chest is a store inside the center that accepts donations of small household and decorative items (no clothing) from the community and resells them, most for $10 or less. There is also a “free table.”
The Morrisville Senior Servicenter was founded in 1976 and is located at 31 E. Cleveland Avenue in Morrisville. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm. The nonprofit center is funded in part under a contract with the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging through a grant provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the Bucks County Commissioners. The center serves anyone age 55 and older in Bucks County.
Any seniors interested in joining the center or anyone who’d like to volunteer should visit morrisvilleseniorservicenter.org or call 215-295-0567.
