9 a.m. – 10 a.m.: Exercise Class
Next up several days a week is an hour-long exercise class. Mondays, for instance, Hiller takes a class focused on resistance bands and cardio, led by a Royal Oaks instructor. On Tuesdays she visits the nearby Duarte Senior Center for a cardio dance class, followed by 45 minutes of water aerobics. Wednesday’s class includes weights and Pilates and, on Thursdays, she does more water aerobics. In lieu of an exercise class, on Saturdays she works her muscles for an extra hour in the garden.
“I participate in more things than most people, but you can do as much or as little as you want around here,” Hiller says. “They make it very easy to stay active.”
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Chair Volleyball
Every Monday and Friday morning, Hiller joins fellow residents for an hour-long game of chair volleyball, a game in which even less active neighbors can participate.
“The game sounds hokey, but it’s a lot of fun,” says Hiller, whose husband also plays. “Actually, it’s probably the most fun activity at Royal Oaks.”
1 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Social Time
While she dedicates her mornings to exercising her body, Hiller reserves her afternoons and evenings for exercise of the mental and social variety. Mondays, for example, she visits friends in the hospital or the Royal Oaks health center from 1:30 p.m. until 3 p.m., followed by a couples group at her church from 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. once a month. On Tuesdays, she plays bridge from 12:45 p.m. to 4 p.m., then again from 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Wednesdays she plays Mahjong, and Fridays she joins a knitting group.
“The more things you do—the more things you’re involved in—the more people you meet,” Hiller says. “I think it’s good to know everybody; socializing is beneficial to your health.”
Destination: Better Health
If it sounds like Hiller is the Energizer Bunny of Royal Oaks, that’s because she is: She wears a pedometer and most days logs approximately 20,000 steps—double the 10,000 daily steps recommended by the American Heart Association.
“The most steps I’ve had is 28,000 one day while I was on vacation in New Zealand,” boasts Hiller, who says all the steps she takes—in the gym, on walks with Lily and in her other activities—have delivered her to an enviable destination: better health. “I’m really lucky. I’m not on a walker and I don’t use a cane. I still have all my parts, my brain’s still OK and I can still see. So, I guess all the exercise helps. I don’t do it only for health reasons, though. I just like to be active."
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