Danielle Schwer of United Way of Northwest Vermont introduced members to Bone Builders during the June 10 Rotary meeting.
CSH Rotary welcomed Danielle Schwer of United Way of Northwest Vermont on June 10 for an introduction to Bone Builders, a free, volunteer-led strength and balance program designed to help older Vermonters prevent falls, maintain bone density, and stay connected to their communities.
Bone Builders classes meet at least twice a week and can be adapted for participants who exercise either seated or standing. Danielle explained that the program combines warmups, balance work, slow strength exercises, and stretching, with participants choosing weights and repetitions appropriate to their abilities. Even simple movements can translate quickly into greater confidence on stairs, improved mobility, and safer everyday movement.
The program now includes 41 class locations, 161 volunteer instructors, 82 weekly sessions, and roughly 1,700 participants across Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties. Danielle emphasized that the benefits extend beyond physical health: classes create friendships, reduce isolation, and often become a gateway to other healthy habits and activities.
Members joined Danielle for several sample exercises and asked about osteoporosis, fall prevention, transportation barriers, participation by men, and how Bone Builders measures results. The discussion underscored a simple but powerful idea: strength, independence, and community can all be built together, one class at a time.