Moving On with Mobility and New Strength
Ten months after a stroke weakened the left side of her body, Esther was looking for a way to regain the strength she needed to live independently.
In her early 80s and living on her own, she had worked hard in rehabilitation. While much of the strength had returned to her leg, weakness in her arm and hand remained, making everyday activities more difficult. She relied on volunteer drivers to get to appointments and was searching for new ways to continue rebuilding her strength after her formal rehabilitation ended.
When Curtis Klassen met her, he knew she’s be an ideal participant for Moving On Circuit Training, a seven-week exercise program designed and run by the Langley Specialized Seniors Clinic to help frail older adults regain mobility, build confidence and transition into community-based fitness programs.
“The Moving On program is a bridge from being completely sedentary to eventually participating in a community-based program where people can stay active, build social connections and improve their health,” says Curtis Klassen, a physical therapist at the Seniors Clinic.
During each session, participants rotate through a series of supervised exercise stations designed to improve strength, balance and endurance. The ultimate goal is to help them regain the confidence to stay active long after the program ends.
The program would not have been possible without donor support. In 2025, gifts to the Foundation helped the clinic purchase a recumbent bike and an arm ergometer, two pieces of equipment that made the circuit training program possible.
The recumbent bike helps participants build leg strength and cardiovascular fitness with less stress on their joints, while the arm ergometer strengthens the upper body through seated exercise.
“Without those two pieces of equipment, we wouldn’t have started this program,” says Curtis. “They opened the door to something we couldn’t offer before.”
The eight-week pilot welcomed seven participants this spring, marking the first time the clinic has offered circuit training. Before receiving the donor-funded equipment, staff spent two years running a simpler exercise program focused on walking poles and seated exercises.
Today, Esther is thriving, says Curtis. She’s graduated from the eight-week Circuit class and now has the stamina to pursue a more energetic lifestyle, which includes attending regular seniors’ day programs.
Every tool that promotes exercise and mobility can help interrupt a cycle that often affects frail older adults. A fall, illness or injury can lead to anxiety and loss of confidence, causing seniors to become less active and increasingly isolated, says Dr. Joy Liao, a geriatrician with the clinic.
“When an older adult loses confidence in their ability to move safely, they begin to restrict their activity,” says Liao. “This restriction leads to physical deconditioning. Their muscle strength, coordination, balance and stamina decrease, making falls and further mobility loss more likely.”
The addition of the arm ergometer and recumbent bike supports the clinic’s goal of helping seniors remain safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.
Every senior is also supervised during exercises that are tailored specifically for them, by a physical or occupational therapist who specializes in geriatrics.
“This is what makes it a very different program from just going to the gym and using a recumbent bike and other equipment, or getting services from a personal trainer who usually isn’t comfortable working with this age group,” says Dr. Liao.
For Dr. Liao, donor support plays an important role in helping health care teams provide the best possible care.
“I’ve come to appreciate that the gap between good care and great care is often filled by philanthropy in partnership with health care providers who are passionate and dedicated in their work.”