Member Nancy Bate

When Nancy Bate was working out at the Park Springs fitness center with her personal trainer, some Members urged the trainer to take it easy on their friend. "He really pushed me to the limit, but I wasn't complaining," Nancy says with a smile.

Nancy moved to the community in 2005 with her husband, who passed away in 2007. Two sons were living in the Atlanta area at the time but have since moved away. "I considered moving but the fact is I'm really very happy here."

Health and wellness come are a priority for Nancy, a former nurse. She worked with a trainer for six weeks, learning and perfecting an exercise routine that she now does on her own.

Aerobics and tai chi classes are also part of Nancy's fitness routine, as well as walks with her Chihuahua, Annie. She has taken advantage of access to the onsite nutritionist who reviewed and confirmed her dietary choices.

For Nancy, stretching the mind is just as important as stretching the body. Over the past several years she's discovered her inner artist through regular painting lessons with Park Springs art teacher Marie Matthews. "About six or eight of us get together once a week. It's something I had always wanted to do and really enjoy," says Nancy.

She's also in charge of selecting Members' artwork to hang in the Park Springs gallery. As well, she teaches Bible study and visits Members living in Cobblestone. A past president of the Park Springs Residents' Council, Nancy is a regular cast member in the annual Broadway show and spring satire.

Once a month Nancy makes the quick trip downstairs to visit Park Springs physician Dr. Margaret White who monitors her blood levels because she takes the blood thinner Coumadin.

"The truth is, you just can't do everything at Park Springs," she says. "So you try things and of course there's no obligation if you want to change. Whatever you choose to do, there's a great deal of support from other Members."

Members John & Dot Branscomb

Park Springs Members are as congenial a bunch as you'll find. But get them in the gym and they become pretty fierce competitors. The community's annual Physical Fitness Challenge is a much-anticipated event for many Members, including Dot and John Branscomb.

This year John placed third out of 106 participants and Dot was on a winning team, aptly named The Wonder Women.

There's plenty of friendly trash talk around the Park Springs fitness center. But Members are serious about earning points for cardio exercise, resistance training, strengthening the brain, taking wellness classes and doing acts of kindness.

"The day after this year's winners were announced we attended an exercise class, expecting to see very few Members because the competition was over," John recalls. "But there were more than 40 people there!"

For the Branscombs, the commitment to staying well is part of daily life. When John was warned by his cardiologist that he was pre-diabetic and had to lose weight, he jumped into action. "The doctor recommended a nutritionist and personal trainer in town, but I told him I had both of those right at Park Springs."

Working with the onsite trainer and nutritionist, John dropped 20 pounds and is no longer pre-diabetic.

"There's a new light menu option in the dining room that gives me everything I want," he explains. The community is known for exceptional food in all of its dining venues.

Whether they're rehearsing for the annual Park Springs Broadway musical, serving on committees or spending time with friends, the Branscombs choose a full and active life, enhanced by daily efforts to stay fit and healthy.

Members Dr. Michael & Lee Brown

Dr. Michael Brown was a solder in the British Army more than six decades ago. The exercise regimen he learned as a young recruit has again become a regular part of his life.

Michael and his wife Lee have been Park Springs Members since 2009. He's a retired college professor and she is a former preschool director.

Three days a week, Michael meets a friend – Park Springs Member Frank Manning – to work out at the fitness center. "I set the treadmill on an incline and go reasonably fast for about 25 minutes," Michael explains.

"I finish with a benching and stretching routine and use exercises I learned in the army. I don't think I do them quite as vigorously any more, but I do them!"

Lee prefers walking outdoors where she can enjoy the quiet beauty of nature. Among her favorite destinations are Stone Mountain Park – easily accessed by a private gate – and the path around the Park Springs Lake.

Adds Michael, "When I look out our window onto the Stone Mountain golf course with the gorgeous trees and changing colors, I can't even compare life here to one of those Buckhead high-rises."

The Browns love the look and feel of Park Springs – from the beautiful original artwork to the exquisite landscaping. At the end of the day, they agree that the best part of life here is the Members. "It's delightful to take a walk around the grounds and stop and chat with interesting people along the way," says Michael.

Member Don Gardner

Park Springs Member Donald (Don) Gardner is pretty happy about having atrial fibrillation.

It's not that he finds the idea of an irregular heartbeat so appealing. Don is grateful that the condition – which can lead to a stroke if undetected – is so easy to manage now that he's living at Park Springs.

"Dr. White, our geriatric physician, checks my vital signs and reviews my medication every four weeks right here in the Park Springs clinic." Don feels great and hasn't let the condition get in the way of a busy and active life.

After the death of his wife Norma, Don lived at a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in North Carolina. He moved to Park Springs (also a CCRC) in 2011 to be near family.

Don hit the ground running. He became an active member of the health and wellness committee and finds time for regular workouts in the Park Springs fitness center.

"I work with a personal trainer and exercise on my own for nearly two hours several times a week." Thanks to his healthy lifestyle and close monitoring of his condition, Don's heart now shows no signs of irregularity.

He and other members of the health and wellness committee are currently planning a three-part seminar series on Alzheimer's disease. They're working with Emory University and other experts to present much-needed information for Members, adult children and the general public. The seminar is scheduled for May.

Days are busy and productive at Park Springs. They're fun, too. Don loves dining out and frequently joins other Members for lunch and dinner outings to Atlanta's hottest new restaurants.

The easy-going, health-focused lifestyle at Park Springs suits Don Gardner to a tee. Citing studies that suggest older adults live longer in a CCRC environment, he notes adds, "I've heard it said that it's better to be five years early than five minutes late. And I certainly agree."

Member George Scheuer

"After all these years Chef Derrick and I are definitely on a first-name basis," says Park Springs Member George Scheuer (pronounced Shoy-er)." George is known for his super-healthy eating habits and receives great support from Chef and the entire Park Springs dining staff.

George and his wife Shirley were among the first Members to move into Park Springs back in 2004. Shirley was evaluated with Alzheimer's disease in 1999. The couple enjoyed nine months in their beautiful new home before Shirley moved to Cobblestone where she lived until her passing in 2010.

The community's focus on health and wellness has been an important part of life at Park Springs for George, a former executive for a fabricator of stainless steel food service equipment.

"In 2003 I had a quadruple bypass," he recalls. "I weighed 221 pounds and my doctor gave me a year to get down to 175." At the time the Scheuer's were living in the Atlanta metro, not far from Park Springs.

A caregiver they had hired knew a lot about healthy eating and helped George learn to eat well without fried foods, salt and excess fat. Steadily the pounds disappeared.

Once he reached his goal weight George knew keeping it off would be tough. By then the Scheuer's were living at Park Springs. In the dining room, George ordered carefully and Chef Derrick was always happy to provide the lean protein, whole grains and fresh produce that he needs.

"Friends say to me now, 'Come on George, you don't have to be so careful any more, do you?' But I know keeping the weight off is a lifelong process that I have to focus on every day."

George has been an active member of the Park Springs Nutrition Group. He enjoys cooking for himself on Sundays and is known for his delicious baked salmon.

Having access to the Park Springs fitness center has been key to George's fitness program. He joins other Members for water volleyball three times a week and enhances his routine by swimming or walking pool laps.

George knows that long-term fitness takes discipline. "Sometimes you ask yourself, 'Do I really want to get into my suit and get in the water?!' But you force yourself, find your rhythm after a couple of laps, and before you know it you're finished and you feel great!"