If you want to work out, but aren’t one to feel comfortable at a big gym, the Bancroft Lifestyle and Enrichment Centre (LEAF) might be the place for you.
That’s the message from Town officials, as the new centre begins drawing regular visitors.
Heather Lockwood, a veteran personal trainer from the area, is the facilitator of programs at the new space, in the upstairs of the North Hastings Community Centre.
One week after its grand opening, she has already helped people from groups such as North Hastings Community Integration and North Hastings Community Care become comfortable with the gym equipment.
The centre was designed with high accessibility standards. The hope is that seniors, those with mobility challenges, or others who for any other reason aren’t accustomed to using gyms, will feel comfortable there.
Town General Manager Andra Kauffeldt pointed out that Bancroft has one of the highest population percentages of seniors in the province. The centre is intended to keep those seniors healthy for as long as possible.
“As people age, if they stay active and they stay mobile and keep their joints limber and stay healthier overall, it improves their longer-term quality of life,” she says.
She explained Bancroft’s decision to open the gym was about “looking at who our community is and making sure our whole community is represented.”
A variety of programs, from kickboxing to step dance classes, are in the works. Information on programs is available from the Town.
