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Friday June 22, 2007

Pioneering fitness center opens in Israel

Hundreds of health care professionals, staff members, senior citizens, and local residents crowded Ezer Mizion’s large reception hall at its Bnei Brak headquarters for the recent official opening of its state-of-the-art health maintenance center for senior citizens — the first of its kind in Israel.

Chananya Chollak, international chairman of Ezer Mizion, welcomed the audience. Heart specialist Dr. Miri Amitai spoke about the Macabbi Health Provider —one of the sponsors of the program for senior adults — and its services.

The audience had a hands-on opportunity to learn about the many services that the fitness center provides by participating in workshops on various topics: correct nutrition, improving memory, various types of physical activity for golden years, etc.

This pioneering initiative comes as a result of the growing consciousness of the importance of exercise in maintaining physical and mental health, together with recognition of a general lack of awareness among older people about the importance of preventive health activities.

“I’m very excited about the opening of this center,” noted a retired teacher, who gave her age as 75-plus. ”I’m of the generation that was raised on a diet of meat and starches and saturated fats and who maintained a sedentary lifestyle.

“But it’s never too late to make changes. And I can discuss what I learn with my granddaughter, who’s a physical education teacher! I’m grateful to Ezer Mizion for providing this opportunity to people of my age group.”

The launching of the fitness center follows several highly successful experimental programs to promote health literacy among the elderly, which were developed by Ezer Mizion with the assistance of various bodies including the Claims Conference, Eshel, the municipality of Bnei Brak, and the Ministry of Health. These have been operating on a small scale and now the fitness center has been opened to the general public.

Ezer Mizion’s Fitness Center includes a hydrotherapy swimming pool, exercise facilities and an activities room. The center offers lectures on health promotion and exercises aimed at building bones, preventing heart disease, enhancing daily functioning, improving emotional balance, etc. The center is staffed by a professional team of geriatric social workers, nurses and physiotherapists.

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