Mizzou's Stay Strong, Stay Healthy program has helped hundreds of seniors since 2005

University of Missouri Extension's Stay Strong Stay, Healthy program continues to keep older adults active after almost 20 years.

Offered through the MU College of Health Sciences, the eight-week strength training program has been offered since 2005. So far, it has helped more than 20,000 adults over 60 in five states.

Remaining physically active is important as people age, said Stephen Ball, who developed the program. Ball is a professor in the MU College of Health Sciences and Extension.

"I think it's critically important if they want to maintain their independence," Ball said of staying fit.

Strength and flexibility and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle are factors in aging well, he said.

Class participants undergo physical strength and flexibility tests at the start of the class to measure how they improve over the eight weeks. There's always improvement, he said.

"We have also found improved sleep and more physical activity outside of the class," Ball said.

The program benefits both the physical health and the emotional health of participants, he said.

"There's a social component we have always known has been there," Ball said.

Participants are visiting with each other before, during and after the classes, he said.

"The class may be one of the few times in the week they interact with someone," Ball said.

The program meets all the aspects of a Land Grant institution, he said. It's used for research, teaching and outreach.

"That's all in this one program," Ball said.

Most recently, "Improving older adults' functional health using the progressive Stay Strong, Stay Healthy program" was published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

Undergraduate students conduct some of the classes and graduate students are involved with some of the research.

The exercises include squats, bicep curls and lunges.

Venues for the classes include senior centers, churches, schools and banks. All that is required is some chairs and a little open space, he said.

"It doesn't happen in a typical gym setting," Ball said. "A typical gym can be intimidating."

The program recently was feature in a newspaper in Argentina, he said.

"We're getting more requests from other states all the time" about the program, Ball said.

The classes are twice a week, with participants doing the exercises at home for a third time.

People can repeat the exercises or move on to a more challenging level 2.

There may be yet another offering soon, Ball said.

"We're piloting a level 3 program with Oklahoma State," Ball said.

People can find a class to join by visiting the website, https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/stay-strong-stay-healthy.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: How Mizzou's Stay Strong, Stay Healthy program helps older adults