The Alzheimer Resource Centre is providing a program to assist those in the early stages of dementia.
Minds in Motion will be held for six Tuesdays from in April and May.
The program runs for 90 minutes each week.
The first 45 minutes consists of fitness programming, with a certified fitness instructor. Training includes balance and coordination exercises.
The second 45 minutes is a time for refreshments, activities, games and social time.
Information about dementia and services is also available.
Mary Beth Rutherford, Minds in Motion coordinator for the South Okanagan Similkameen, said the exercises and social activities can help slow the progression of dementia.
“We want to keep people engaged in the community rather than isolating them,” she said. “The more support we can create the better.”
Rutherford said a structured program can help dementia patients maintain function at a higher level for a longer period of time.
“If they don’t have the structure, the downward slide can go faster,” she said.
She added that some of the participants in the Minds in Motion program have been attending for the past two to three years.
Minds in Motion will be held at the Penticton Community Centre, 325 Power St., Penticton. It will run for six Tuesdays from April 4 to May 16 in Penticton, with no program on April 11. It runs from 1:30 to 3 p.m. each week.
To register, contact the centre or visit www.penticton.ca/e-reg. For more information, contact the Alzheimer Resource Centre at 1-800-634-3399.