Brooksby Village’s New Fitness Center Keeps Residents Moving

By taking advantage of the many virtual and outdoor fitness activities available, residents at Brooksby Village, an Erickson Senior Living Community in Peabody, Mass., continued to stay active through a challenging 2021.

Embracing the New Year, residents are eager to socialize with neighbors and friends—in-person—in the newly updated, state-of-the-art fitness center.

The renovation of the fitness center truly gives meaning to the saying “out with the old and in with the new,” according to Brooksby Village Associate Executive Director Justin Paradis.

“We look at trends within the industry—and within our population—and ask what would be the most appealing for current and future residents,” Paradis says. “Health and fitness are at the core of the experience that we want to create for our residents. Our fitness centers, of course, are an essential component of this goal.”

A complete renovation

That trend-watching prompted a total overhaul of the fitness center, including bringing in all new, high-tech equipment.

“It’s a complete renovation,” Paradis says. “The entire site was emptied out. The locker rooms were completely refurbished with new showers, new fixtures, and new cabinets. They’re bright, colorful, and vibrant. Absolutely beautiful! Throughout the fitness center, we made minor modifications to the layout and included bright, lively colors.

“We’re really excited about the equipment—we’re taking a huge leap, technologically. Almost all of our equipment was replaced and upgraded,” he adds. “Most of our cardio equipment has individual TVs, and we’re going to introduce equipment that will have online capabilities—for residents to engage in both live and on-demand exercise classes.”

Brooksby residents Stan and Judy Stephenson are thoroughly enjoying the new fitness and aquatics center. Stan regularly visits to get a workout in, and Judy swims and uses the recumbent NuStep machine nearly every day. When the couple first moved to their apartment home in West Wind Terrace in 2018, Stan did all of his walking outdoors, even measuring distances around the campus.

“But I slowly started to realize that if I went to the fitness center and worked out on the NuStep, it would be a lot easier on my knees and hips,” Stan says. “So, I gradually moved over to that. Now, I do about 30 minutes a day. It’s become part of my daily routine. Best of all, my knees are holding up really well. I do it in the morning—it’s a great start to the day.”

Envision yourself here

Brooksby Village Sales Director Suzanne Davis says residents and prospective residents are looking for ways to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, just like the Stephensons.

“Prospective residents and guests come to Brooksby Village, look around, and wonder, ‘Can I see myself here someday?’” she says. “They see the amenities that we offer here, and the healthy lifestyle. The exercise piece is huge—whether someone is using our fitness center or walking around our 90 beautifully landscaped acres, it really makes an impact.”

The aquatics center swimming pool was also “refreshed,” featuring new tilework and resurfacing.

While renovations were ongoing in the Town Center, residents were given access to a satellite fitness center in the Kingsbury Clubhouse.

“We were operating, during the repositioning, out of a one-bedroom apartment, allowing residents to still exercise,” says Fitness Manager Rokia Paone. “We also continued all group exercise classes and personal training sessions.”

“We hope to have an increase in membership in the new fitness center,” she adds. “Our fitness and aquatics center is crucial in keeping our residents active. We also do a large amount of personal training, which allows for personalized programming, benefitting members’ individual goals.”

Creating community

Encouraging fitness and staying active is a goal that Brooksby Village focuses on, no matter residents’ level of ability. General membership for the fitness center is free for all residents, requiring only a signup and an orientation process.

“We want to teach you how to use the equipment,” Paradis says. “From there, residents have 24/7 access to the gym to exercise whenever they would like.”

From Hatha yoga to aerobics, or “Flexible Strength” to “Get Up & Get Fit,” fitness classes can be found all over the complex, so the pursuit of fitness is accessible to all.

“One of the reasons we enjoy living here is that we’re so close to the fitness center—we don’t have any excuse to not come over,” Stan says. “But it’s also nice sometimes just to walk outside. Even if we’re just going from where we live over to the Overlook Restaurant in the McIntosh Club House to have dinner, we’ll walk outside sometimes—because it’s such a nice walk.”

“We’re not creating communities in the sense of using bricks and mortar to build a place to live,” Paradis says. “And by ‘we’ I mean our residents and staff together. We are creating communities where folks have vibrant, rich, and healthy lives.”

Consider Brooksby Village if you’re interested in living in a connected and engaged senior independent living community. Beautiful walking paths and gardens, resort-style amenities, multiple on-site dining options, and new friends await. Request more information today!