Niche Gyms Are Jumping
Willie Wortham finishes up her set of chest presses and easily glides off the weight machine, ready to tackle another. Told she looks in great shape, with perfect posture and a steady gait, Wortham replies, “Yes, for a 91-year-old lady.” At this gym, she doesn’t stand out so much as fit in.
Nifty After Fifty is a small, independent gym in Whittier, Calif., specifically for middle-agers and beyond. It offers easy-to-operate pneumatic weight machines; comfortable, low-impact cardio equipment; yoga and tai chi classes; licensed physical therapy; balance training; and even nonexercise programs such as a driving simulation course, dances and movie nights.
To the growing list of niche gyms, comes gyms for the older set. The market is vast, although largely untapped.
They’ve mostly been relegated to senior center programs, adult school classes or the odd session at a gym or YMCA.Photo by Tiger Mask.
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