- News Archive
It’s been said that you should take care of your body because it’s the only place you have to live in. That means (hopefully) making diet and exercise a priority in your overall lifestyle. One Still Hopes couple, Hal and Amaryllis Duvall, have made exercise a priority in their life at Still Hopes and it has yielded life changing results.
The Duvalls have lived at Still Hopes Retirement Home in West Columbia, SC for almost four years after moving from Cheraw, South Carolina. Hal ran a hardware store that had been in the family for over 100 years and Amaryllis taught elementary school for 42 years. The Duvalls say fitness was a part of their life in Cheraw, but it wasn’t until they moved to Still Hopes Retirement in West Columbia, SC that fitness really became a focal point.
Hal and Amaryllis each met with Denise Heimlich, Still Hopes Director of Wellness, who laid out a fitness plan for Hal and a fitness plan for Amaryllis. While Amaryllis enjoyed the group classes, and still goes a few times a week, Hal felt like his individual fitness concerns needed more one-on-one attention. “He started doing the personal training sessions and he could see so much improvement. He is very conscientious about going twice a week.” explains Amaryllis.
To make all of that work even sweeter, after almost two years of personal training sessions, Hal was able to dance with Amaryllis at Still Hopes’ Annual Luau, which was something Amaryllis thought would not happen again. “We have always loved to dance. Unfortunately, the last time there was a dance, Hal had gotten to the point where he just thought he couldn’t dance any more. But recently at the Luau, Hal wore me out on the dance floor!” laughs Amaryllis.
For memorable reasons like this, Hal and Amaryllis can’t thank the Still Hopes Wellness Staff enough. “Thank you because it’s certainly made a difference in both of our lives. The Wellness team is just so professional and nice.” says Amaryllis. “They have become good friends to us now.” smiles Hal.
Denise loves hearing success stories like this and says this story can become yours too. “Many do not realize that fitness can be improved at any age. In fact, the number of years a person has lived on this earth is one of the minor considerations of fitness training. The important aspects of fitness training include a person’s current abilities and setting goals. Exercise does not need to be strenuous. Consistent, moderately paced exercise can result in a huge increase to your quality of life. Hearing how Hal danced gave great pleasure to the Wellness Staff – that is what life is all about!” says Denise. For more information about Still Hopes’ Wellness Program, please call (803) 223-6180.