The 87-year-old has been working out at the gym in Baycrest’s Joseph E. and Minnie Wagman Centre for 30 years now and the result is a trim figure and a sharp mind.

All-around fitness is the aim of the many programs offered by this multilingual centre for older adults who live at the Terraces of Baycrest retirement residence or in the local community. For cardiovascular health, members can choose aerobics, weight training, aqua fitness, dance, yoga or tai chi. For maintaining a healthy brain there are computer classes, a creative arts program, a poetry group, and a book club. There’s even a program where seniors visit local schools to help teach children to read.

And for social interaction – also good for the brain – the Terraces offers, among other things, movies and concerts, a sing-along group and a billiards club.

“I can’t say enough about this place,” says Ida. “It has helped keep me healthy over the years and I’ve made many friends here too.”