Ed and Bonnie Balcerski: Gym couple an inspiration to all
At 86, Ed Balcerski doesn't move at quite the same pace he once did as a mailman walking the streets of Wilmington. But he isn't letting age get in the way of a good workout.
Balcerski and his wife Bonnie, 79, are members at Bayside Fitness in Long Neck, and there isn't a week that goes by that they're not there.
“I've never been in a gym that's had such commitment from a couple of that age,” said Bayside Fitness co-manager Greg Kies. “They're consistently here, not just now and then. They do cardio. They do weights. They give themselves a pretty well-rounded workout every time they come.”
Ed, the oldest member of the gym, uses a cane. Two back surgeries left him with a weak left leg.
“That's the way it is, but I get around,” he said, noting his usual routine takes him on the treadmill or stationary bicycle and to machines that focus on specific body parts.
When the gym opened earlier this year on Long Neck Road, Balcerski saw it as a good way to complement his regular routine of walking the Pot-Nets boardwalk, especially on days when the temperature dips and rain falls.
“I'll keep coming as long as my body will let me,” he said.
Like her husband, Bonnie has also gone through her share of medical issues. After three back surgeries, she said, it is imperative to stay active. Bonnie goes to Aquacare twice a week for pool exercises in addition to the time she spends with her husband at Bayside Fitness.
“My doctor told me I had to exercise or I wouldn't be able to move,” she said. “The pool is the best place to get exercise.”
Bonnie's healthy lifestyle doesn't end at the gym. She is also a leader in the local chapter of Overeaters Anonymous, starting a Long Neck chapter about five years ago for the people of Millsboro and Georgetown. Following the death of Ed's sister, who had lived with the couple for about 10 years, they discovered a pamphlet for Overeaters Anonymous among her things. Bonnie said she found the group inspiring and began to attend meetings.
“I lost 45 pounds,” she said. “I just followed the program.”
In the last few years, she's continued working with the group, helping many others cope with the disease of overeating.
Bonnie worked as a unit secretary at Peninsula General Hospital for 15 years before retiring. She then served as a nanny for several area doctors. Even while working at Peninsula, she said, she tried to stay as active as possible.
“I tried to never use the elevator,” she said. “I always tried to use the stairs. That's really good exercise.”
Bonnie and Ed married 26 years ago. Ed first rented a lot in Pot-Nets Bayside in 1964, and moved to Sussex County full time after he retired. While he's admittedly slowed down a bit, he still tries to stay active. Bonnie says he's an early riser, often out and about before she's out of bed.
Kies said the Balcerskis' hard work has not gone unnoticed at the gym, as many of the 300 members have been inspired by the couple. He said they are setting an amazing example.
“The first thing we stress here is movement,” said Kies, a former Maryland state policeman and 25-year paramedic. “For this age group, movement is imperative. I've seen people suffer from inactivity and the consequences. To see [the Balcerskis] out here at this age and staying active, it's motivation to all of us.”
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