How a group of women found friendship and fitness at a Rochester YMCA

Victoria E. Freile, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Three times a week they gather to laugh, exercise and motivate one another.

A group of about 30 to 35 women regularly attend the 50-minute-long low-impact fitness class at the Thurston Road YMCA Neighborhood Center in Rochester's 19th Ward, donning matching shirts in orange, gray or purple, depending on the day of the week. They march in place, stretch and work their arms – with colorful weights, resistance bands and punching exercises. Music from decades past pulse as repetitions are counted.

Since the center reopened in 2020 after several months of closure due to the pandemic, group fitness instructor Jean Calder has led the center's Silver Sneakers fitness class.

"I'm so proud of ya'll," Calder told the group mid-workout on Monday.

The women started as strangers but have created their own community. The group – a collection of strong, confident women who range in age between the mid 60s and upper 80s – regularly gather post-workout in the center's adjacent café area, chatting, playing Bingo and sharing snacks. The celebrate milestones, including birthdays.

Essie Whren, 88, enjoys a silver Sneakers fitness class at the Thurston Road YMCA.
Essie Whren, 88, enjoys a silver Sneakers fitness class at the Thurston Road YMCA.

"I love the camaraderie," said Essie Whren, 88, of Rochester, who has been attending the class for at least 25 years. "Everyone is like family."

Emma Kimble of Rochester, who has attended the class off and on for two decades, greets newcomers and veterans alike with a bear hug. For many members, she said, the workout is also a social event, an outing. And attendees certainly make the most of each moment.

When the center reopened in 2020, only a handful of ladies first frequented the class, Calder said. As time passed, more women joined in, many learning of the vivacious group by word of mouth.

Shirl Daniels, 73, of Rochester has been attending the class for several months, and decided she needed to start exercising about two years into retirement after working in retail for five decades. She met Calder, who suggested she give the class a try.

Emma Kimble, left, greets Kathy Kiessel before a Silver Sneakers fitness class at the Thurston Road YMCA. Kiessel said she likes the Monday morning class because the group has so much energy.
Emma Kimble, left, greets Kathy Kiessel before a Silver Sneakers fitness class at the Thurston Road YMCA. Kiessel said she likes the Monday morning class because the group has so much energy.

"So I came and I watched and I thought, 'I can do this,'" she said. "Jean makes the class so enjoyable and the people here are just great."

Calder said the class is all about movement - no matter your limitations. A YMCA employee for 14 years, Calder said she loves the ladies' smiles and to see their determination and steady improvement.

"They are my queens," Calder said.

Years ago, Olphia Barnes of Rochester tried a Silver Sneaker class at the now-closed YMCA MetroCenter downtown and was not impressed by her experience. Last year, she tried Calder's class "and I loved it."

Calder works parts of your body you don't even realize you need to tone, said Barnes, now 67. "There's simply no class like it in the city," she said.

About the center

The 13,400-square-foot center, located at 597 Thurston Road, initially opened in 1998 and was previously best known as the Southwest Family YMCA branch as part of the YMCA of Greater Rochester. It's open from 6 a.m. to noon and 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. The center is closed on Sundays.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: How a group of women found friendship and fitness at Rochester NY YMCA