They braved the ziplines and navigated the ropes course more than 20 feet in the air. Last week, a group of residents from Friendship Village senior living community in Schaumburg participated in the Go Ape Treetop Adventures in Western Springs. Sixteen residents, ages 70-92 eagerly registered for the program which they were told would be one of the most intense balance challenges they’ve experienced. “This was part of our initiative to offer once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the residents,” said Julie Hubbard, SeniorFit Program exercise physiologist at Friendship Village.

Friendship Village promotes a healthy lifestyle and offers a variety of classes in their state-of-the-art fitness and aquatic centers. “The residents who participated at Go Ape were regular fitness attendees and needed to be able to rely on their core strength, balance, and agility to complete the course. We showed everyone ahead of time what they were signing up for, and they were excited for the challenge and thrill of it,” said Julie. “The residents had a blast! Every single person completed the ropes course and ziplined two or more times. Several were initially a little bit fearful, but they conquered more than just the ropes that day. They were surprised and proud that they could finish the courses and are already asking how long before we can go again.”

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