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

All programs are free, but donations are appreciated.

The North Shore Keep Well Society is a registered charitable organization who partners with all three Municipalities and several community agencies to provide you with low cost or no cost programming throughout the North Shore. Your membership contributes to our organization’s strength, success, and viability, and you will be invited to join us at our Annual General Meetings.”

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

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 for in-person classes. However, Zoom sessions require registration so you may receive the link to the Zoom class. We ask that you come to the sessions 15 minutes beforehand, to be ready when the session starts.

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

Keep Well Brochures

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.