The Merry Milers is a walking group for senior citizens that is organized through the Miamisburg, Ohio Parks & Recreation’s Senior Adult Center. Participants are average ages of 70 to 75 and they walk every morning at the nearby Dayton Mall. The mall opens its doors to the Merry Milers at 7:00 am, but does not open to the public until 10:00 am. The Merry Milers are 75 members strong, with average attendance at approximately 40 to 50 members per walk. In addition to the mile-long walk, three times a week, they also complete a half-hour exercise routine in the mall’s food court.
Participants record their miles on individual results sheets and track their progress throughout the year. At the end of the year, the Senior Adult Center holds an awards ceremony, where members are given prizes and certificates for outstanding achievement and completion of the program thus far.
The program is overseen by the municipality’s Recreation Programmer and also relies on the support of drivers and volunteers. Volunteers lead the morning walks, although the Recreation Programmer also attends approximately three times per week. Municipal drivers pick up any participants who require transportation to the mall. The senior citizen bus will pick up residents from their homes or senior centers and return them after they have walked.
Because the program has been in existence for 10 to 15 years and takes place in a central location (the Dayton Mall) many residents throughout the area are familiar with the program and the Merry Milers do not need to advertise in order to recruit members. The program is, however, mentioned in the Senior Adult Center’s monthly newsletter.
Results
According to the Ohio Parks & Recreation Department, participants in the Merry Milers program demonstrated improvement in all of the objective goals of the program: physical health, increased optimism, increased coping ability, and cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. They also increased their perceived competency in physical fitness.
The Ohio Parks & Recreation Department provided all participants with pedometers and recorded their heart rate and blood pressure prior to starting the program. Remarkable results were recorded after three months:
Strengths
Innovative Ideas
Lessons Learned
Staff members at the Senior Adult Center considered adding music and additional exercises to the program, but found that participants were not interested in these additions. The participants enjoyed the walking aspect of the group and did not feel it was necessary to add to the program.
Implementation Steps
The program’s coordinator says that the most important part of implementing a program like the Merry Milers is to find a place to walk. Based on the experiences of the Merry Milers, a mall is the best environment for the program. Municipal recreation departments that are new to this type of programming should seek out the counseling of a personal trainer or physical therapist who will instruct them on proper walking and exercise techniques. Advertising can be done by distributing flyers at senior centers and medical offices. The recreation department should anticipate expenses for the program’s director as well as drivers (if they are needed.)
Contact Information
Miamisburg Recreation Programmer
937-866-8999
