As studies show the importance of social connectedness to longevity and better health, a group of suburban women are using an exercise program to help establish strong bonds.
Every Tuesday at noon, rain or snow or shine, two dozen women don their bathing suits and clip on their flotation belts, getting ready to hit the indoor pool at Superior Training in Willowbrook for a Fluid Running class.
“It's a deepwater exercise program or class. You're running to different intervals of length and speed and the classes are about an hour,” said Jennifer Conroyd, founder of the Fluid Running program.
The instructor, Conroyd leads the class that has become more than a workout for some of these women.
“We came together because of the class, but more importantly, we started doing breakfast,” said Carol Bobo, who has been taking classes for eight years.
Bobo’s first class was in 2015, shortly after she retired after 38 years in education.
“I knew I needed to do something and find people,” Bobo said.
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Through Fluid Running, Bobo found her crew. She’s one of 12 women who regularly attend classes together.
“A lot of people are lonely. And I'm blessed that I'm not. Running has done that for me,” said Ana Sisson, 73, who lives in Oak Brook and takes classes three days a week.
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The women socialize outside of the pool as well, some even vacationing together.
“Some of us have formed a Fluid golfing group. And we celebrate, we have parties, we have coffees after,” said Carla Peer, who has been taking Fluid Running classes for 10 years.
Studies have found social isolation has a huge correlation with negative health outcomes, but health experts believe classes like this can change that.
“The more that you put yourself out there and be vulnerable and want to have these experiences with people, it really does have great return on investment for just you as a human being,” said Dr. Julie Bruene, a sports medicine physician at Midwest Orthopedics at RUSH.
The group of women who have bonded at Fluid Running classes says they get the best of both worlds.
“You can get this amazing exercise and workout without any impact on your body,” Conroyd said.
They have also formed friendships that go far beyond the water.
“Just constantly sharing things. How can we lift each other up, support each other,” Bobo said.
“We grieve with people when there are losses. We celebrate when there are, you know, victories,” Peer said.
It’s more than the Fluid Running founder could have hoped for.
“They've just formed this really neat friendship and they support each other for good times and bad and it's just it's just been really neat to witness this community that's formed from this exercise class,” Conroyd said.
