HAWORTH—In a borough where senior programming has long been modest and largely volunteer-driven, a new initiative is looking to add something simple but potentially transformative: movement.
Mary Lyons-Kim, a Wyckoff-based certified senior fitness instructor, is preparing to launch a “gentle fitness” class in Haworth, designed to meet older adults “where they are”—physically, socially, and emotionally.
The program, beginning on a trial basis this month at the First Congregational Church, represents an expansion of the borough’s limited but dedicated senior offerings, which now center on several luncheon gatherings each year. Classes are set for April 16 and 30.
“This is a new program that we are rolling out, and hopefully it’s going to take off,” Deputy Borough Clerk Annemarie Wells told Northern Valley Press last week.
“There’s almost nothing in terms of ongoing senior services,” Lyons-Kim told us in an interview. “This is an opportunity to create something consistent—something that supports health, but also connection.”
Haworth’s senior programming has historically relied on volunteers, including longtime resident Bonnie Borghi, who organizes several luncheons annually at the church hall adjacent to Borough Hall. Attendance is typically small—often a dozen or so residents—and skews older.
“We don’t have a senior center,” Borghi said. “We’re a small town, so we try to navigate what we can offer.”
Lyons-Kim said her goal is to complement, not replace, those gatherings by attracting a broader range of participants, including “younger seniors” and those who may not see themselves as part of a traditional senior group.
“I call it ‘gentle fitness’ intentionally,” she said. “It’s not about age—it’s about accessibility.”
The class focuses on balance, light strength training, and low-impact cardio, often using chairs for support. Participants are encouraged—but not required—to bring light hand weights. No floor work is involved.
“That’s a barrier for a lot of people,” she said. “If you can’t get down and up off the floor, you don’t feel like the class is for you. This removes that.”
Borghi said the format is part of what makes the program appealing locally.
“It’s exercise that anybody can do,” she said. “You can do it on a chair, you can do it standing. I think it’s going to keep our seniors moving—or get them moving.”
Lyons-Kim’s path to fitness instruction grew out of years of community work with older adults.
She was a founding partner of ITN North Jersey, a nonprofit affiliate of a national transportation network that provided rides for seniors and visually impaired residents.
The volunteer-driven service connected riders to medical appointments, grocery stores, religious services, and family visits.
“It was life-changing work,” she said. “We had people going to dialysis three times a week, to chemotherapy, to see a new grandchild. It was about independence.”
The program built a waiting list and trained more than 100 volunteer drivers before shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the closure of its national parent organization.
“It was heartbreaking,” Lyons-Kim said. “We lost people—not just to the program ending, but literally.”
In the years since, she has shifted her focus to fitness, earning certification as a group and senior fitness instructor and teaching in Paramus and Rochelle Park senior centers, as well as in smaller and private settings.
“It’s the same mission, really,” she said. “Helping people stay independent.”
Lyons-Kim said the benefits she sees in her classes go beyond exercise.
She points to improved balance, increased bone density, and greater confidence in daily movement—outcomes that can reduce fall risk and support aging in place.
But the moments that stay with her are often smaller.
“Someone will say, ‘I almost tripped, but I didn’t,’” she said. “Or, ‘I got up out of the chair without using my hands.’ That’s huge.”
Music—ranging from Bobby Darin to contemporary tracks—keeps the atmosphere light. Some classes veer into spontaneous dancing.
“I read the room,” she said. “It’s meant to be enjoyable.”
The Haworth program has drawn support from borough officials and community members, including Councilwoman Alanna Davis, who has involvement with the Seniors Club, and Councilwoman Jane Cabourg, a retired educator active in local programming.
For borough volunteers, the class represents an incremental but meaningful step.
“We’ve been doing luncheons, we’ve had speakers, we’re trying different things,” Borghi said. “This is going to be a little slow process—but we hope it grows.”
Wells similarly described the program as a starting point, with the potential for expansion if participation is strong.
Lyons-Kim said she hopes the class can serve as a foothold for expanded offerings.
“This could be a starting point,” she said. “If people come, if they feel good, it builds.”
For now, the focus is on getting the word out and confirming initial dates. Participation is expected to be free, in line with other municipal senior offerings.
Residents interested in Haworth senior programs can visit haworthnj.org or call Borough Hall at (201) 384-4785.