Imagine being part of a social group where you can go ice skating, try pickleball or join cycling groups that stop off for beer or ice cream. Engage your core and make new friends in a Pilates jam with a band. Head out for museum and theater outings.
You can do just that—if you’re 55 or older—through Arlington County’s 55+ Program.
This ain’t your grandma’s senior center. In fact, don’t call it a senior center all. Rebranded many years back, the county’s 55+ Program caters to an increasingly hip, fit and youthful clientele.
“The participants are more and more active,” says Jennifer Collins, the 55+ Program section manager. She’s been with the program for nearly 20 years and has seen it change over time. “It’s an active program. I think that’s really what encourages people to come in. Travel and fitness are kind of our gateway to the program. And then people find a whole other variety of things to participate in,” she says.
The program is “getting up there” itself. It turns 70 this fall, and it’s more robust than ever.
Arlington was one of the earliest communities nationwide to create a senior center—starting in 1954 with just 42 people. Running out of the Hendry House, it was the first officially organized senior program in the state of Virginia, Collins says. One year later it had 100 members. Now, there are approximately 6,500 registered participants.
“The Arlington 55+ Program is a great way to get and stay in shape, make new friends and stay active, says local resident Juan Cuesta, who is currently taking a boot camp class. “The class is as demanding as you make it. It makes me feel 20 years younger.”
The program will run 70th Anniversary celebrations through October. Some of the highlights include a free movie matinee at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse Aug. 22, a retro fun and games social on Sept. 6 at Arlington Mill Community Center, and an anniversary picnic Oct. 2 at Lubber Run.
Those are in addition to the hundreds of classes the program offers year-round. Sign-ups for fall classes opened Aug. 20 and are now underway. Clicking on the 55+ catalog brings up a broad array of activities, sports and groups to join, including various walking and hiking groups, a travel program that offers up to 12 trips a month, and numerous aquatics programs.
“We try to find something for everybody,” Collins says, “So anywhere from a seated exercise to a senior boot camp. Aquatics classes at Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center are very popular.”
Pilates and yoga draw a lot of interest, too. So does pickleball, which the 55+ Program brags it’s been doing long before it became “cool.”
“Nobody had heard about it until recently, but we’ve had it for over 30 years,” says Collins.
A running theme is that all the activities help to create social connections.
“We have a biking group called ‘Tour de Friends’, Collins offers as one example. “What’s kind of fun about it is that it’s not just going out 10 miles and back. There’s a social element. They’ll plan a trip, and halfway there will either be a coffee shop or ice cream shop. Sometimes they end at a pub.”
Arlingtonians seeking intellectual experiences will also find trips to museums and shows, along with speakers and technology presentations where you can learn how to use various apps, smartphones and streaming services. A workshop on cyber security is especially popular.
Technology and teleworking have changed the way the program functions, too.
“We do have a nice a group of 55 to 65 year olds,” Collins says, “and a lot of them are still working. Jobs have changed. A lot of the people that still work can now come through the day too, because of the (teleworking) flexibility.”
For those who can’t get out of the house so easily (or just don’t feel like braving the day’s weather) there are hundreds of virtual options on the 55+ YouTube channel. Arlington partners with Fairfax county and Prince William County to boost its online offerings.
“Sometimes it might be a historical discussion, a nature program or a dance class,” Collins continues. “There are different programs that people can go on live, to listen, ask questions, engage with other people.”
“It means I am not lonely,” says participant Bea Frank. “There is always something to do—a group to join, a game to play.”
Arlington County is home to five 55+ centers, three of which (the Arlington Mill, Langston Brown and Walter Reed Community Centers) offer a federally-funded lunch program for residents over age 60. There’s transportation, too.
Classes on health, nutrition and fitness topics—especially how to prevent falls—are always in high demand. So are classes on planning a will, learning about Medicare or downsizing.
And these are all in addition to traditional “senior center” activities centering on music, painting, drawing and crafts.
“I have grown and advanced as an artist over the years with the helpful guidance of a great staff and some extremely talented art instructors,” says Becki “Reba” Dodd. “There is something available for everyone to join and have fun.”
“It keeps people engaged in their community,” Collins says. “Our [surveys] show that our participants are able to follow healthier lifestyles and engage in social connections that improve their quality of life… which in the long run makes for a better Arlington County.”