Santa Monica Community Recreation is for Older Adults

January 11, 2018 10:13 AM
by Tati Simonian

Alex is in his 60s and newly retired. His wife, Marnie, works part-time at a local nonprofit. As their daily grind shifts into an open format, Alex and Marnie looks for new ways to continue to spend time together, enjoy the outdoors, and keep healthy and active.

Alex has recently discovered the fitness room at the Memorial Park gym. Memorial Park has easy and free parking, and the monthly $12 Santa Monica Senior resident fee fits his budget. Alex enjoys the top-notch cardio and weightlifting equipment in a low-key environment. On the weekends, Alex returns to Memorial Park to enjoy the pickleball courts. Sometimes, Marnie likes to join in on the fun, and the couple plays a few rounds of doubles with other couples from the community. Pickleball is played on a similar—but smaller—court than a tennis court, and uses paddles like those used for ping-pong to serve airy, lightweight balls that catch the stroke just right. Alex and Marnie have formed great bonds with other pickleball players and never imagined being drawn to the game!

Besides pickleball, Marnie also enjoys exploring group classes like yoga, Zumba, or other dance workouts. Recently, Marnie learned about a unique class at her neighborhood park called Hoopfit’s Holy Hooping + Yoga. She decided to give it a whirl and loved the way the class fused yoga poses with hula hooping. It was unusual at first, but she had tons of fun! You’ll find Marnie at the November 26 and December 17 workshops in Reed Park. She may end up bringing a friend or two.

Fitness and class offerings are available all year round through Santa Monica Community Recreation. For more information about group class offerings like Holy Hooping + Yoga, visit smgov.net/classes. For info about the Memorial Park fitness room and pickleball courts, drop by the Memorial Park gym, located at 1401 Olympic Boulevard for a tour of the facilities, or visit smgov.net/adultsports and look for “Drop-In Sports & Fitness.”

Authored By

Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer