Piper Shores Collaborates with UNE on New Fitness Center Design

Regular exercise is an important part of maintaining good health during retirement, and as part of the Master Campus Plan, Piper Shores plans to address this need with a completely renovated fitness center and pool area. “Having the new fitness center will add a different dimension for exercise at Piper Shores,” said Anne Cowles, fitness director and instructor. “I foresee more individualized programs using this [new] room to help increase fitness goals and well-being, and more time for other group classes and programs to further enhance the health of the residents at Piper Shores.”

The new state-of-the-art fitness center is being designed in partnership with students in the University of New England’s Applied Exercise Science program. Resident input, as well as consideration for some of the unique challenges facing many senior citizens, such as balance and agility, informed much of the students’ designs.

Some of the unique fitness features proposed by the students included strap-on wrist and ankle weights to keep hands free for balance, step-in reclining bikes for easier access, and a seated elliptical for low-impact cardiovascular exercise. The students’ proposals have been incorporated into the Master Campus Plan, which is now moving forward.

About Piper Shores
Piper Shores is the only nonprofit lifecare retirement community in Maine and the first to be recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CCAC) - the nations’ only accrediting body for continuing care retirement communities. Built in 2001 in a style that complements Maine’s architectural heritage, Piper Shores is located on 138 acres of beautiful oceanfront property, situated between Higgins Beach and historic Prouts Neck in Scarborough, Maine. Piper Shores is an innovative retirement community that promotes the long-term wellbeing of its residents through a continuum of activities and lifecare services. Piper Shores residents enjoy active, independent lifestyles with guaranteed priority access to on-site assisted living and skilled nursing care, whenever they may need it.

Piper Shores is owned by Maine Life Care Retirement Community, Inc., a Maine nonprofit organization, formed by a group of accomplished local individuals to deliver the shared vision of creating an ideal retirement community on the coast of Maine.

For more information, visit http://www.pipershores.org or call 207-510-5211.