Fitter Futures Brings Healthful Joy to Seniors

M.A. Dworkin

St. Croix - It’s easy to lose that healthy feeling when you get older. Gravity begins to take over and your energy level begins to slip down. If you don’t take care of yourself, your body slowly falls out of shape and your mind follows. You become aware you need a boost, but you’re not sure what is the proper way to provide one. Fitter Futures by Beeston Hill may just be the answer to kick-start your senior years back into the shape of your youthful days.

The Fitter Futures program at the Beeston Hill gym was inspired by the grandmother of its founder Wendy Keeler. Grandma Eileen was a strong, independent, self-sufficient, and sassy, senior, who loved staying active with Water Aerobics, Chair Yoga, and senior fitness classes, enjoying not only the physical activity, but the camaraderie of the fitness groups she belonged to at Beeston Hill. 

When Covid-19 hit, all that changed for Grandma Eileen, and the loss of healthy exercise outlets along with her opportunities to stay physically fit in a group setting was mentally devastating. 

Fitter Futures was created by Wendy to honor her grandmother and provide older members of the St. Croix community with a healthy and active lifestyle built around camaraderie and health and fitness programs. Research has clearly shown that not only are the physical benefits of exercise crucial to a senior’s well-being, but the camaraderie and support that fitness classes and group events built around healthful measures has a tremendous emotional and mental benefit to seniors. 

With that vision and Grandma Eileen’s spirit in mind, Wendy and former gym owner Mike DelGiacco launched Fitter Futures by Beeston Hill, to bring no-cost health and fitness classes to senior members on St. Croix at Beeston Hill Health and Wellness Gym. In the first 6 months of launching the program, with the help of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI), members aged 65 to 92 took 225 free classes. Currently, 16 free classes per week offer camaraderie, encouragement to live a healthier lifestyle, motivation to realize that being physically fit is not over as a senior, along with the hope that one’s physical future will be as bright as the past.

Fitter Futures currently offers various classes each week from Water Aerobics and Chair Yoga to Zumba, for senior gym members from 65 to 96 years young! In 2024, almost 200 individual senior members took over 600 classes through the Fitter Futures program. Fitter Futures by Beeston Hill is now hosted by Beyond Limits Fitness Centre. The program is committed to improving the health, strength, mobility, and social engagement of its elder St. Croix membership.

Fitter Futures by Beeston Hill is a Virgin Islands 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. With help from their community partners and supporters, Fitter Futures continues to advance its mission of improving the lives of St. Croix’s aging population by providing affordable fitness and wellness services in a positive, social setting.

Fitter Futures recently held their 4th Annual Fitter Futures Food Truck Festival & Family FUN-Raiser on the grounds of The Leatherback Brewing Company. It was a huge success, as hundreds of smiling faces filled the grassy grounds and music filled the air. It was an afternoon to remember for all who came by to enjoy the great food, kids’ games, clowns, mocko jumbies, along with a varied selection of vendors hawking their wares, and raffles that presented cool prizes donated by STX companies.            

“Grandma Eileen passed away this year at 93,” Wendy Keeler said. “For her, and all the vibrant, sassy, strong and loving elders in our lives, we are committed to helping keep them strong, vital, and thriving!”