Former Physical Therapist Helps Fellow Seniors Stay Safe and Spry

For more than 15 years, Active Aging Week has celebrated healthy living and the valuable contributions older adults make in our communities. In Piedmont, one needs look no further than Marion Marx, who at 90 years old exemplifies the benefits of an active lifestyle.

The former physical therapist leans on her knowledge and expertise to benefit her friends and neighbors at Piedmont Gardens senior living community, where she’s lived for the last three years.

“You must keep moving, it’s very important,” said Marx, who followed her mother into the field of physical therapy and enjoyed a career that spanned more than 60 years. “If you stop moving, you’ll forget how.”

Today, Marx gets her steps in on the community’s paths or around the nearby neighborhood. If she’s not involved in a spirited game of ping-pong, she’s likely at the local YMCA pool, where she swims laps a few days a week.

Occasionally, Marx also helps lead exercise classes for fellow residents. In addition to regular balance and movement routines, the classes sometimes include a fall prevention workshop. Here, residents practice falling on mats, so they can learn to roll properly and limit the impact of a fall.

“When you lose balance, there isn’t a lot of time to organize yourself,” said Marx, adding things like loose carpet, uneven sidewalks, and dimly lit areas of the home can all be hazards for older adults.

Active Aging Week runs Oct. 1-7.