July 2026

Strong enough to stay independent

Ask people at Next what they want most as they grow older and the answer is remarkably consistent: independence. The ability to live in their own homes, drive their own cars and carry on with their daily activities without a second thought.

It may not be as obvious as other advice for longevity, but one of the best ways to achieve the goal of independence is through strength training.

Strength training for older adults is no longer a fringe idea, and luckily, Next offers over 20 different weekly classes to support strength, balance and general fitness.

The American College of Sports Medicine and the National Institutes of Health both recommend that adults over 65 engage in muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. The reason is simple: without deliberate effort, we lose muscle mass every decade after our thirties. Muscle loss is directly connected to the things we fear most about aging, falls, fractures and the slow erosion of the ability to do ordinary things.

Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that older adults who regularly engaged in resistance training were significantly less likely to fall, recovered from illness faster, and maintained their ability to perform daily tasks years longer than those who did not.

This is exactly why Next offers senior-focused fitness classes. Unlike general gym environments that can feel intimidating or irrelevant, classes built specifically for seniors address the things that matter most in order to age well: balance, functional strength, flexibility, and fall prevention.

Next offerings range of classes, from Tai-Chi that has become quite popular as more doctors recommend it for its many health benefits, to all sorts of yoga classes, low-impact aerobics, stretching, strength training, line-dancing and barre balance, and that’s just to name a few. As an added bonus, when trying a new class at Next, we want to be sure it is a good fit, so the first class is always free, member or not. In these classes, taught by certified senior fitness instructors, movements are purposeful; squats that mimic rising from a chair, overhead reaches that keep shelves accessible and core work that protects the spine through the ordinary motions of the day.

Equally important is what happens beyond the physical. Fitness classes bring people together. Consistency builds community. That is exactly what happens three times a week after a morning “Limber-Up” class. Members congregate in the lobby, sipping their coffee and sharing stories. This friendship group forged at Next, now extends outside our doors as the group often gets together for picnics, holidays or simply offering support to one another.

That kind of quality in instruction, in community, in genuine care for every member, is what makes Next different. Our classes are designed with your whole life in mind: the stairs, the grandchildren, the garden, the grocery bags.

At Next, Your Place to Stay Active and Connected, that isn't just a tagline. It's what happens every single day.

Cris Braun is Executive Director of Birmingham Next