“Hello Irene from Ohio!” said Breyette, presenting live from her Plattsburgh, N.Y., office during one of her Monday classes. “Just so you all know, we woke up to snow this morning!”
After greeting most of her attendees by name and exchanging pleasantries, Breyette announces: “It’s time to rock and roll!” She then guides her class through a series of seated warm-up movements before grabbing a resistance band and demonstrating more advanced exercises.
The classes are designed to get their blood flowing and their bodies moving, but for many seniors who were unable to leave their homes or assisted living spaces—or receive visitors—the classes represent a welcome window into more normal times, and an opportunity to be social.
For the past 11 years Breyette, who has a background in adult education and physical education, has led in-person senior fitness in Essex and Clinton Counties. Her classes range from seated “Chair Chi”—a gentle method of stretching, breathwork, and mindfulness—to classes that combine movement with weight and band resistance.
But when community spaces and services began to shut down last March at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it threw many seniors in Breyette’s classes for a loop.
As stories of isolation from pandemic lockdowns spread, Breyette’s concern for her neighbors in Clinton County—and seniors everywhere—grew. “In places like New York City, seniors were trapped in their apartments and literally could not go anywhere,” she said.
That is the predicament Joan Roth found herself in at her Riverdale home in the Bronx. Roth prioritizes fitness to stay active and healthy. “Our gym closed in March,” she said. “I was lost as to what to do.”
Breyette heard many stories like Roth’s and wanted to help. She started by contacting Senior Planet, a New York City-based organization that specializes in teaching computer and internet skills to seniors. “I said, you know how to live stream on a larger scale and I know how to teach—let’s just get this going!” Breyette said. “The first week of April we were up and running with our Zoom classes and we never looked back.”
