Virtual Fitness Challenge Keeps Delray Seniors Active During COVID-19

Boca Raton, FL – With residents hunkered down indoors due to COVID-19, Abbey Delray South has gotten creative with keeping them physically active. The Delray Beach senior living community is hosting a virtual fitness challenge where residents participate in exercise classes via an app while competing for a weekly grand prize.

Instructional exercise videos filmed by the community’s fitness team are uploaded online featuring strength and conditioning, Pilates, yoga, meditation, and tai chi. In addition to the app, the classes are streamed on TV and are accessible on smart devices. Abbey Delray South awards a bottle of wine and a pedometer to one lucky resident each week to encourage participation. The more classes a resident participates in, the higher the chances of winning.

This incentive has been a big hit, with more than 75 residents consistently taking part in the challenge. Some of the most eager participants are residents who typically wouldn’t attend in-person training sessions. The community is ecstatic to see widespread embrace of physical activity despite the pandemic, since the health benefits are so numerous. Seniors who regularly exercise are at lower risk for high blood pressure, colon cancer and diabetes, according to the CDC.