Who We Are

The North Shore Keep Well Society is a registered Society in British Columbia and a federally registered Charity.

Keep Well is a free exercise and wellness program that provides fitness, health awareness, wellness education and social contact to help older adults lead active and independent lives. Programs take place weekly and year round (except August) at seven North Shore locations from Parkgate to Dundarave, and includes one hour of physical exercise followed by optional blood pressure checks, health coaching, massage, speakers, social times and other wellness activities. Keep Well programs are inclusive and free to attend. You are welcome to observe one of our classes before participating. Pre-registration is not required.

Please enjoy the following presentation on Keep Well – Who We Are.

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Our classes have been suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions, but please sign up for our Keep Well Newsletter at https://www.keepwellsociety.ca/news/news-events/ so that we can communicate with you when classes are about to resume. In the interim, we have provided some instructional videos https://www.keepwellsociety.ca/news/videos/ for you to use safely at home or you can register for Afsar’s Zoom Exercise Class by clicking on this link https://www.keepwellsociety.ca/schedule/.

Our programs are free to participants.

The North Shore Keep Well Society is a registered Charity and not part of the North Shore Municipalities.  By becoming a member, you are contributing to the costs of running the Charity.  Funding bodies look at the number of members in determining whether to fund and how much to fund an organization.  Overall, by becoming a member you are helping to ensure the longevity of the North Shore Keep Well Society.

The age of 55 is the suggested lower limit. There is no upper limit.

In most cases, yes.

As long as you have full mobility and your doctor has given you the go ahead to resume light exercise, you are welcome to participate.

All participants need to sign a general liability waiver.  Our instructors are trained and are required to be registered with the BCRPA and have a certificate for teaching Older Adults.  Our exercise programs are designed to be safe for our participants, however we expect participants to consult with their doctors before starting a new fitness program and a liability waiver ensures that participants take the responsibility for doing so.

There is no need to register in advance. We just ask that you come to the sessions 15 minutes beforehand, and be ready to get started.

Casual, comfortable clothing and appropriate shoes (not sandals).

Our licensed instructors lead the classes in English; however, the exercises are demonstrated by the instructors and it is easy to follow along. Online courses are available in Farsi and English.

Volunteers are always welcome.  Please check our website https://www.keepwellsociety.ca/about/volunteer/ for more information or phone or email our Office Coordinator at 604 988 7115, ext. 3001 or keepwellsociety@telus.net

Contact Us

Keep Well Brochures

English
فارسی
中文

History

Keep Well was founded in 1986 by a group of individuals who initiated a health promotion program for North Shore seniors in order that they be healthy, physically fit, socially connected and aware of community resources. The program was based on the idea that seniors have a responsibility to maintain and enhance their own health.

Keep Well has established alliances with several organizations to provide the programs. This win-win situation helps Keep Well by allowing us free space, and it assists our host organizations by providing programs for their client groups.

Demographics of participants include

  • Ages range between 55 and 102. Average age is 76.
  • Participants are mobile – they come to the programs under their own steam.
  • An increasing number of ethno cultural participants, male and female, are enrolling in the programs.
  • Though participants come from many income levels, some are on a fixed income and live in subsidized housing.

The organization continues to evolve and uses the following objectives to guide its development.

  • To provide drop-in programs in which older adults can learn and practice regular keep well activities;
  • To expand and enrich such programs as appropriate;
  • To develop programs by which people needing special help can be counselled and referred to competent community resources;
  • To arrange and publicize workshops and health fairs which will increase general awareness of community health resources and promote the Keep Well Program;
  • To collaborate with all other personnel and agencies whose programs complement and strengthen the Keep Well Program.