Staying Fit with VA

One of those programs -called GeroFit- is targeted specifically at older Veterans. At each stage of life, people have different fitness needs. The Gerofit program is tailored to the needs and goals of Veterans who are 65 and older.

“As Veterans age, their goals often change,” says Occupational Therapist and Gerofit Coordinator Michelle K. McDonald. “Younger people might worry more about how they look or losing weight, but as Veterans age things like strength training are more important because they still want to work in their garden or stay in their home.” 

Like Recreation Therapy, Veterans need to ask their VAPIHCS primary care doctor for a referral to the Gerofit program. After that, they will go through an evaluation. The program is not able to take Veterans if their blood pressure is too high, or if they have other exclusionary criteria that would make it dangerous for them to participate. For Veterans who qualify, it’s a great way to stay active.

“The Veterans make friends with each other and look forward to seeing each other,” McDonald said. “In addition to the health benefits associated with staying active, they’re also getting psychological benefits from connecting with other Veterans and having a reason to get up and out of the house in the morning.” 

There are several different levels of fitness classes offered. Veterans can start out in an easy class and progress to something more challenging if they want. In-person classes are held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the Oahu Vet Center in Honolulu. Tuesday and Thursday classes are held virtually for Veterans that benefit more from working out at home. 

“It’s very individualized because everyone is different,” said McDonald. “We try to tailor activities to the Veterans’ needs as much as possible to ensure that they get the most out of the classes. Some Veterans only do once a week if they have other things going on, and some come to more than one class a day.” 

For Veterans who are planning on having surgery, it can be very beneficial to do “Prehab.” This is when they focus on gaining strength before a procedure. Veterans who do this tend to have shorter stays in the hospital, and they tend to recover faster. After a surgery they cannot come directly back to Gerofit. They need to do their physical therapy first as prescribed by their doctor. However, once their doctor feels that they are ready, they will be able to rejoin the program. 

McDonald has Veterans who are in their sixties and seventies, but she also has some who are in their eighties and nineties. She even has one Veteran who is 102-years-old. While the age range is wide, the focus for most Veterans is the same: maintaining bone density and strength so that they can continue to do the things they love. 

“It’s actually a really rewarding job,” McDonald said. “I am so grateful that the Veterans make an effort to show up no matter what else they have going on, because they are committed to their health. It makes it easy for me to feel committed to them, and it’s fun to get to work with them and help them do things they didn’t think they could do.” 

Gerofit is a good regular workout program that focuses on essential exercises to assist Veterans in aging without losing function, just like the Move program is for younger Veterans. Some of the Veterans in the Gerofit program also compete in the National Veterans Golden Aged Games (NVGAG). One of them is very committed to paddling with Recreation Therapy, but also commits to show up for Gerofit. Since the programs focus on different skills, it makes sense if Veterans want to do Gerofit and also go biking or play Pickleball. They may even choose to do one of the programs Whole Health offers such as Tai Chi or Health Coaching. Whatever way a Veteran is best able to stay active, VAPIHCS is working to support that desire and help them to achieve their goals. 

If you are a Veteran who would like to join any of our programs to help you stay active, call 1-800-214-1306. 

Veterans may call VAPIHCS Whole Health directly at 808-835-1750 to ask about their programs.