Norwich seniors find the 'fountain of youth'

NORWICH – For some, the secret to everlasting life is unattainable, far-away in a myth or a legend.

For others, the magic supposedly found in a fountain of youth – like the idea of getting old – only really exists in the people who believe in it.

For one early morning Water Arthritis Exercise Class, it just so happens that the vibrancy of youth, with or without all its secrets, follows them wherever they go, including the Norwich YMCA swimming pool.

“You can’t help but feel good around this group,” said class member Jane Stillinger. “They’re a bunch of clowns.”

In a class that intends to loosen joints and strengthen bones, its participants say the limber laughter is what makes all the waves.

“They’re a riot,” said the class’s co-instructor Patty Jenkins. “They are just a fabulous group.”

Class members range in age from their 60’s on up to their mid-90’s, most having arthritis or some form of replacement surgery. The low-impact of working out in the water is the key to healing and strengthening those vulnerable joints, many of the participants said, and since joining the class they have never felt better.

“It’s been the best thing for me,” said Netti Dennis of Norwich, who has lived with arthritis since she’s been in her thirties.

“I feel better after I get out,” added Jewel Hayes, of Mt. Upton. “I feel great.”

The class was started by Jenkins and co-instructor Susan Kocsis three years ago. According to Jenkins, the original three-day-a-week class became so popular that they had to create a second class for 8 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The twice-a-week class has since evolved into more than just exercising with friendly acquaintances, or friends – they refer to each other as part of an extended family.