A place they can stay active together
Lilian Howick volunteers as a group fitness instructor at the YMCA. Her two daughters and four grandsons are Y members too.
Lilian Howick, 72, volunteers as a group fitness instructor at the Westmount and Downtown YMCAs. A former high school teacher, she has been teaching fitness for 40 years, including 27 years at the Y. Now specializing in working with seniors, she gives two gentle fitness classes a week at the Y and practices Pilates throughout the year. She also loves exercising with her family; she plays tennis and golf in the summer and skis in the winter with her daughters and grandsons.
"I want to be the best I can be. Everybody should be the best version of themselves. Exercise is like the fountain of youth, the 'pill' you need to keep yourself out of the doctor's office."
Her two daughters are also Y members. They work out every day. Julie does a lot of spinning and toning us, while Andrea takes toning, Bosu and TRX® classes. Her four grandsons, Nicholas, Luke, Matt and Bobby, all aged between 7 and 14, are very athletic as well. They all learned to swim at the Y. The youngest has even attended our preschool programs and our day camp.
"I became a role model without even realizing it. Kids learn by what they see. They are like sponges. They are all into sports now!"