Howard’s new age-friendly fitness lot creates accessible exercise space for seniors

Bill Roche pedaled a blue stationary bike in Centennial Park North on a recent sunny afternoon. Around him sat nine other blue workout machines, tucked between tennis courts, racquetball courts and a parking lot.

The bike he was using is one of 10 workout machines that have been added to the park’s age-friendly fitness lot, unveiled by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball earlier this summer. The free, wheelchair-accessible machines include stationary bikes, leg presses and ellipticals.

Roche, a longtime county resident, uses the lot multiple times a week. He warms up and cools down using the bike, and sometimes trains on an elliptical on leg day. For Roche, the fitness lot gives him a space to exercise without worrying about judgment from other exercisers in crowded gyms.

“There’s no pressure, nobody there is counting how many reps you’re doing or judging you,” Roche said. “People are there to exercise on their level and just have fun.”

Roche, 62, said he likes to use some of the equipment because of its low impact on his knees. Feeling the “burn and pain is not always gain,” Roche added, and he enjoys the ability to work out at his own pace outside.

Candy Diamond-Krupitsky, a certified hand therapist who founded Hands On Therapy in Pikesville, said a free, accessible age-friendly fitness lot not only adds engagement in daily life, but also provides a non-threatening place for people to work out.

Her practice runs by one motto: “Pain is your body’s request for change.”

“If something is hurting, it means that something is not right,” said Diamond-Krupitsky, who has worked as a hand therapist for about 20 years. She sees a lot of older patients who experience pain, stiffness and a loss of independence because of a loss of motion in their hands and arms.

A fitness lot could help encourage exercise in a comfortable location for many community members, she said, and help older people maintain their independence longer with healthy workouts.

More than 15% of Howard County’s population is more than 65 years old , according to U.S. Census data, and Maryland has a 65 and older population of nearly 17%.

Ball, who unveiled the fitness lot in June, hopes it will help community members stay active and combat loneliness — a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

“Social isolation is always a concern when it comes to our older adults,” Ball said in an interview. “Creating these opportunities for people to congregate and connect really not only combats that, but it helps fuel a creative and innovative way to provide a wellness option to everyone that’s affordable and accessible.”

While many COVID-19 restrictions have been eased, people of all ages still face feelings of loneliness, according to a survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and the Census Bureau. The survey asked people in the United States a variety of questions about loneliness and social isolation in periods of about one month in the year.

More than about 70% of people ages 60 to 79 see friends or relatives less than three times a week, according to the survey , and more than 75% of people in the same age range attend club or organization meetings less than once a week.

Roche said he plans to bring his wife to the park so they both can exercise in a “friendly atmosphere” outdoors, surrounded by kids, adults and pets interacting in a shared space.

“It’s wonderful, I don’t know how else to put it,” Roche said. “I feel fortunate to live in a community that has something like this, that has the forethought to not only propose, but to build something like this.”

The age-friendly fitness lot is free to use for anyone older than 13 and is located at 9801 Annapolis Road in Ellicott City.