Charmion,

A good friend on mine found a Baltimore, Maryland gym program that has some neat features i can see spreading thru the US retired-folks marketplace. Maybe Canada has these here and there, too.

As I understand her reportage thru my own envy, the first signup period includes physical-therapy-level trainers to assess what FITNESS workouts-- not PT routines-- are possible as the new member's gentle and DOABLE starting point. It's a 60 or 90-day program with many incentives to come 2-4 days/week and form the habit.

Then, there's a huge discount on a second, ongoing membership on the other side of the facility-- which looks more like most gyms most folks start with and then fail to keep up with.... group work, classes, self-led rotation thru strength/cardiovascular machines-- the whole candy shop with staff to facilitate machine use... and the option to get back with your 1st trainer anytime you want their tweaking.

The idea is that max help at startup can train we brilliant retirees to have fun NOT hurting ourselves.

My friend and her much-more-challenged roommate are having a ball now, having graduated to that 2nd level's harder machines and colder pools.

And this theory of fitness marketing seems to be percolating into the Ohio Y near the house we hope to get into fulltime (before we 'decrep' our way into more restrictive levels of senior living).

Now the big advantage there, cost-wise, is that Y memberships are adjusted for income. Yeah baby! The local Y pool is great (I have used it every Ohio vacay), they have a great basement full of strength machines plus main level cardio with windows and... wait for it....

The brand NEW facility-- blocks from our little house-- breaks ground this fall. Walk, walker, bike, and/or scooter range! Pension benefits include part of membership fee! :-)

~S~