Harlan has a number of choices for senior citizens looking to get out and about, including healthy alternatives such as chair yoga, a class offered by Harlan Yoga.

While available to anybody, chair yoga is a favorite among Harlan’s baby boomer generation.

Harlan Yoga Lead Instructor Amanda Wolfe said chair yoga is populated by a group of ladies ranging in age into the 80s.

Harlan resident Pat Francis is a member of the class, and says she heard about the class through PT Pros, a physical therapy clinic in Harlan.

“We initially did a class with PT Pros,” Wolfe explained.

Janice Ross also attends the class and has her own reasons for doing so.

“I came because I’m ashamed,” Ross joked. “My daughter put it on Facebook that I needed to go to yoga. I don’t know why she thought I needed something like yoga, but it’s turned out to be a pretty good thing.”

The participants say the class has helped in a lot of ways.

“You need to move,” Francis said. “It has helped me with balance and stretching. You can still move when you get older. It’s wonderful.”

Ross stated working out and meeting new people are major benefits of the class for her.

“I’ve been doing that a lot,” Ross said.

Wolfe pointed out camaraderie has a lot to do with the class.

“We’ve all realized we’ve become friends,” Wolfe said. “I think the fellowship is just as important to a lot of the ladies that come here. I’ve got lots of yoga students, and I’m not shy about saying this is my favorite class.”

The Chair Yoga class is scheduled from noon until 1 p.m. on Thursdays.

“We schedule it from noon to 1, but everybody knows we don’t move for a full hour. Ten minutes of that is catching up when we first come in,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe explained many people do take part in yoga to assist with things that become more difficult with age, such as balance.

She explained while all ages are welcome, the chair yoga class’s average participants are senior citizens.

“For general mobility, the class has been great,” Wolfe said. “But, I think for a lot of us personally, it’s the friendship as well.”

The chair yoga class started approximately two years ago.

Anybody who would like to participate in chair yoga should contact Harlan Yoga at 606-273-1781. For more information, go to the Harlan Yoga Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/harlanyogastudio/

Harlan Yoga is located at 105 North Main Street in Harlan.