The Cupertino Courier

Cover Story

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

During a Walk-Fit workout at Vallco mall in Cupertino, Mas Yamaichi lifts weights. Yamachi, 88, and his wife, Its, 81, have been attending the class for eight years.

Making Strides

Local mall-walking group celebrates 10 years of trekking

By ANNE GELHAUS

They've bounced from mall to mall and stretched from city to city, but venue changes haven't deterred members of a local mall-walking group from their exercise routine.

The Walk-Fit group started at the Sunnyvale Town Center Mall 10 years ago; at that time it was sponsored by mall management, along with Camino Healthcare and Lifeguard for Seniors.

Although the group's sponsors peeled away over time, Walk-Fit continued to meet at the town center until it closed in late 2002. Since then, the group has gathered at Vallco Fashion Park three mornings a week for a trek around the Cupertino mall, led by various members.

To celebrate its fortitude, Walk-Fit held a 10th anniversary breakfast on March 31, foregoing a mall walk in favor of noshing on baked goods and coffee. Sunnyvale resident Bill Usim, one of the group's lay-leaders, said the group often marks special events with food.

"At Christmas, we do a cookie exchange," said Usim, who has been with the group since it began. "We've all become very good friends. Some of us have been together the whole 10 years."

Deanne Smith, a former nurse at Camino Healthcare who worked with Walk-Fit when it first formed, said at the anniversary breakfast that she's impressed by the group's longevity.

"It's kind of taken on a life of its own," added Smith, now a physical therapist. "In other parts of the country, seniors aren't quite as active."

Smith initially helped develop an exercise routine appropriate for Walk-Fit members, most of whom are age 60 and older. She said there are some challenges in creating exercise programs for seniors. For example, stiff joints force many seniors to stay on their feet while stretching, and it's hard to find standing stretches that work all the muscle groups.

Walk-Fit's routine stresses stretching, balance, posture and light strength exercises to avoid loss of muscle tone, all of which become even more important as people age, Smith said. Joining a group such as Walk-Fit, which meets at a regular time and place, helps seniors develop an exercise habit.

"Lots of seniors don't feel comfortable going to the gym, and clinical exercise programs cost a lot," Smith said. "This is a nice alternative."

For some, the social aspect of mall-walking is as important as the physical benefits. In The Complete Mall Walker's Handbook, authors John Bland and Jenna Colby suggest finding a "walking buddy."

"Just make sure you're both at a similar fitness level and can walk at the same pace for the same amount of time," the authors caution.

Some Walk-Fit members spice up their individual workouts by arriving for an early walk before they join the rest of the group for stretching exercises. Other members take strolls on their own on days when the group doesn't meet.

"You walk as much or as little as you want to," Usim said. "You walk individually or in small groups."

While the mall-walkers tend to be a self-propelled bunch, Usim said lay-leaders are necessary to motivate the group when it comes to stretching.

"People don't do it unless someone's in front," he added.

Some who came to the anniversary celebration haven't met regularly with the group since the program moved to Vallco. Usim said members who used to drive from Mountain View to Sunnyvale found it too difficult to make the trek to Cupertino. Now about 15 to 20 people turn out for each Walk-Fit session.

"We lost about half our members when we moved," Usim said. "We looked into alternate places to meet, but the mall is indoors, and the drinking fountains and bathrooms are right here."

Mall-walkers must balance these conveniences against the potential monotony of looping past the same storefronts several times during the course of their workout.

"I walk four miles an hour, and it takes me 20 minutes to go around the mall," Usim said.

Since many of Vallco's stores are closed while the mall is being renovated, the senior striders don't have an opportunity to do much window-shopping.

In fact, Walk-Fit was in danger of being displaced again when Vallco's renovation began a year ago, but the management of J.C. Penney offered the group use of the space in front of that store as a meeting place.

Throughout all these changes, at least one aspect of the Walk-Fit program has remained the same.

"We've been doing the same [exercise] routine for 10 years," said Sunnyvale resident Sam Hodges. "People know what to expect."

Mall-walking was just catching on as a viable form of exercise when Walk-Fit formed. Now malls across the country sponsor walking groups, in part to familiarize members with the shops and eateries therein. To that end, the city of Citrus Heights declared March 12 "Go Mall Walking" day.

Even without the support of city government or mall management, Walk-Fit members are determined to keep on truckin'. Usim said the health benefits make it worthwhile to keep the group going.

"This keeps me active, and it's good for my back," he added.

Physical therapist Smith said the group's staying power is proof that healthy lifestyles are possible at any age.

"In the last 20 years," she added, "more and more studies have shown that it's never too late to start."