It was a packed house at the Desloge First Baptist Church Family Ministry Center for week 14 of the 20-week ExerStart class sponsored by Parkland Health Center and the OASIS Foundation. The older adult exercise program has seen a steady stream of new participants each week.

Week 14 was Judy Barlow's first time attending class. "What a workout, I thought we were done and that was just the warm-up." The class meets two days a week and focuses on flexibility, strengthening and endurance. It is free of charge and open to anyone 50 or over.

Berlene Wright has attended the class since week one despite rheumatoid arthritis and pulmonary problems. "This has helped so much. It's just been great," says Wright. "My doctor told me that he couldn't write a prescription for anything better than this."

Donna Gilliam, the Older Adult Wellness coordinator at Parkland Health Center, teaches the classes. "It's impressive to me to see how beneficial this program is," says Gilliam. "You read about all of the benefits of this type of exercise. It's unbelievable to actually see it working." Gilliam recommends the class to anyone who has been sedentary for a while and is limited in their exercise options.

Gilliam is currently seeking volunteers to be trained to facilitate the ExerStart program so that additional classes can be started. The training teaches facilitators to obtain background information from participants, demonstrate exercises, complete evaluations and track progress. Interested individuals should contact Donna Gilliam at 573.760.8423.