WILLIAMSTON - According to recent estimates done by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), arthritis is the leading cause of disability in Michigan. In order to help ease the pain associated with arthritis; people with arthritis are encouraged to regularly engage in physical activity. Michigan has various programs in place to help Seniors find a way to get moving.

The Y-M-C-A offers a physical activity program called EnhanceFitness and Public Health Consultant for the Michigan Department of Health And Human Services Candice Lee says there’s nothing like it. “It can be really scary, I think you know you need to get moving, but what’s safe? EnhanceFitness can meet you where you are,” explained Lee.

Williamston Community Fitness Center is one of many locations that offers EnhanceFitness classes. Pam Smith is the Fitness Instructor for that class, which is three days a week for one hour. “So we are learning about balance, which is a big part of the program is balance, and weightlifting,” said Smith.

Students that regularly attend this EnhanceFitness class say it has really helped improve their function. Long-time participant Charles Rogers says,”it’s given me back some strength and the biggest this probably is my mobility and my balance. It’s tremendously better than it was before I started.” Jan Morris also regularly attends the class and explained, “I can move better. I have a lot of stiffness when I sit down, I have a hard time getting back up, but this helps me a lot.”

Many of the students enjoy the class because Instructor Smith kept them motivated, but Smith enjoys teaching the class just as much. Smith said,“it’s such an amazing difference when they walk in the first time to several weeks later and they come to me and tell me their stories about things that they couldn’t do before and now they can and it is just wonderful.”

EnhanceFitness classes are low-cost and participants are given the option to pay monthly or by the class once they sign-up.