Fitness Classes
The COA offers exercise classes for every level of fitness. Take a look to find one that's right for you.
Registration is required for all fitness classes - participants register for one to two months at a time (session length varies by class).
Check out our current newsletter for the next session dates and registration procedures.
Balance Boosters
Maintain balance and flexibility with 45 minutes of strengthening and stretching while safely seated in a chair using your own body and simple implements, which are supplied. This FREE class is adapted from an evidence-based program that is shown to improve balance and reduce falls.
Classes are offered Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons.
Chair Yoga
Instructor Lindsay Guinan leads a gentle chair yoga class suitable for all fitness levels. Chair yoga has many benefits, including increased flexibility, improved muscle strength, better balance and coordination, lower stress, reduced pain, and even better sleep. Classes meet on Fridays and are offered at no cost.
Jill's Seated Exercise Class ($8/class)
Join Jill Brown, Certified Personal Trainer, for a low impact seated exercise class that includes balance work, stretching, strength training, cardiovascular exercise, yoga, and meditation all in one! All fitness levels are welcome. Classes are held on Mondays. $8/class
Jill's Senior Workout ($70/8 weeks)
Jill Brown, Certified Personal Trainer, teaches a total body workout fusing stretching, toning, calisthenics, and movement exercises. Classes meet on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Each session runs for 8 weeks (16 classes). Participants must join before the first class of each session (we are unable to add new participants in the middle of a session).
$70 per 8-week session
VNA Classes
We offer a rotating selection of classes taught by a physical therapist or exercise physiologist from the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod Healthcare. These 6 or 8 week sessions include programs such as Men's Fitness and Mindful Movement.
Let us know if there's something specific you are hoping to find!
Qi Gong
Practiced for the same reasons as Tai Chi, Qi Gong is a more simplified method of cultivating our life-force energy to improve health and overall well-being. Rather than learning a sequence of postures, Qi Gong is done mostly in a stationary position, either standing or sitting. Prior experience is not required and there is no ongoing commitment to attend. Each class is unique and uplifting. Drawing from centuries of Traditional Chinese Medicine wisdom, our instructor, A. Jay Zahn will help you learn to improve and maintain good health and vitality. This FREE class meets on Wednesday mornings.
Tai Chi - Beginner ($18/class)
Come learn the many benefits of Tai Chi. Recent studies show Tai Chi practice can help lower blood pressure, improve balance, help with stress reduction, and more. Classes are fun and energetic, incorporating stretching warm-ups, breathing exercises, and an exploration of Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts for healing and vitality. Start your Tai Chi experience with our instructor A.Jay Zahn who has been practicing for over 40 years and teaching at the Harwich COA since 2020. For more info, contact A.Jay at capecodtaichisociety@gmail.com
$18/class
Tai Chi - Advanced ($18/class)
This class focuses on practicing the 24 Posture Yang Style Tai Chi Form. Classes include basic warm-up exercises, QiGong practice, and insights into traditional Chinese Medicine for healing, vitality, and longevity. Tai Chi practice can help improve balance, hand-eye coordination, and lower stress. Our instructor A. Jay Zahn, is a long time practitioner.
For more information, contact A.Jay at capecodtaichisociety@gmail.com
$18/class
Fitness Class
Policies
Fitness program participants are required by the Town of Harwich to complete a liability waiver and list emergency contacts. We also ask that you sign into each class using our key fob at the kiosk in our reception area.
Registration for our fitness programs opens on a specific day, which is always published in our newsletter. Registration always opens at 9AM on the stated day and is taken by voicemail only. Our COA is fortunate to have robust membership, though this does mean that many of our most popular programs reach capacity quickly. We therefore take sign ups for these programs only by voicemail so that we can track the timestamp of your message and fill the class in the order calls were received. Please leave a message with your contact info and the program you are registering for. We regret that voicemails left prior to 9AM cannot be honored. Please leave only one message; leaving duplicate messages delays our ability to return calls.
All programs are open to Harwich residents and non-residents unless stated otherwise, however, we do prioritize Harwich residents for our most popular programs.