Introducing: The Emerald Heights Fitness Team
January 10, 2023One of the best parts of living at Emerald Heights is the state-of-the-art fitness center and programs offered in the community. The fitness department recently was revamped by promoting a new team lead and adding three amazing fitness specialists to the fitness department. The team is excited to offer all they can to residents including new classes and more fitness options. To learn more about the people behind Emerald Heights’ fitness, read about the new team below:
Meet Alexandra “Alex” Clark:
Alex is a certified Zumba instructor and earned her degree in theater from California State University, Northridge. She been teaching Zumba classes at Emerald Heights for over five years and is enthusiastic about fitness. Alex is excited to offer new programs for all areas of Emerald Heights.
If you have been living at Emerald Heights for several years, you may recognize Alex Clark who supervises the trips/events department and the life enrichment activities department for independent living and the Corwin Center. In her new role as Wellness Programs Manager, Alex will still be overseeing these two areas of service, but she will also be managing the fitness program as well.
Fitness has been an important part of Alex’s life for as long as she can remember. She played sports as a child, danced and even tried gymnastics for a little while. Before starting her career in senior living, Alex also worked at several gyms.
Alex says, “I am so blessed to be continuing my career at Emerald Heights and I am excited to now oversee the fitness department. With the new team, I know we will be able to offer more classes, develop new programs and offer the best fitness plans we can. There are lots of exciting things on the horizon!”
Meet Talisa Wibmer:
In 2019, Talisa graduated from Washington State University with a degree in kinesiology emphasizing in sports science and earned a double minor in psychology and human development.
Hired as a fitness specialist in March of 2022, Talisa is the longest standing fitness team member. She has been showing the rest of the specialists the ropes and leading with a smile on her face.
Talisa teaches several group fitness classes for independent living, holds personal training for many residents, performs fitness assessments and helps conduct fitness and lifestyle related presentations. Although Talisa’s background and education is in personal training, she has been able to adapt her skills to group classes, while still providing one-on-one attention within the group.
Talisa is also a competitive swimmer. She began her swim career at 4 years old and continued competitive swim through college. This skill set allows Talisa to offer several swimming-based classes such as aquatic training, lap swimming, aqua aerobics and even a master-swim class.
Talisa adds, “My favorite part of working with Emerald Heights residents is they are constantly teaching me that no matter your age, you can still learn new skills and stay active.”
Meet Tanner Bostian:
Tanner was hired by Emerald Heights in August 2022 as a fitness specialist. Although this is his first job working in senior living, Tanner brings unmatched enthusiasm and excitement to share fitness with residents.
He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from St. John University and has the goal of earning his masters in kinesiology in the near future. Bostian has a personal training certification though the National Strength and Conditioning Association and earned an aging specialist certification though the American Council on Exercise.
He is hoping to add a few new classes to the fitness program that highlight some of the areas he enjoys most such as basketball, boxing, golf, stretching and strengthen training.
When he is not working at Emerald Heights, you can find Tanner as the head coach for Junior-Varsity boys’ basketball.
“Ever since I started working at Emerald Heights, I have been so lucky to get to know and learn from the residents of the community. I love hearing their stories and getting to build a relationship with them,” says Tanner. “Another thing I love about working at Emerald Heights is my co-workers! They make coming to work fun and I am glad we have such a collaborative relationship which ultimately benefits the residents.”
Meet Katharine Manter:
Katharine also joined as a fitness specialist in August 2022 and has loved working with the residents at Emerald Heights ever since.
She has been working with ageing adults for several years. Katharine comes from a medical background so she has a vast knowledge of medications, proper breathing techniques, diabetes management and exercises to improve one’s quality of life.
Manter earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education with a kinesiology concentration followed by a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology. She is also a certified clinical exercise physiologist by the American College of Sports Medicine.
Katharine teaches several group fitness classes and is happy to take on new personal training clients. She also works with the physical therapy team when needed. She is most excited to grow the posture and balance classes and is hoping to provide seminars to educate residents on fall risk, exercises, proper form/technique and overall health.
“I find it so rewarding to help a resident learn to walk better or perform their daily activities through fitness. A lot of the classes offered help residents regain mobility, strengthen balance and allows them to have a better quality of life,” shares Katharine.
If you are interested in getting to know any of these amazing staff members, now is the perfect time to join the fitness program. There are typically eight to ten group fitness classes offered every day such as aqua-aerobics, total body fitness, weightlifting, tai-chi, yoga, Zumba and even line dancing. If you want to train on our own or have individualized attention, the fitness center is open for use daily and Emerald Heights offers personal training packages.
To learn more, chat with one of the fitness specialists today!
