For Renee Levin, exercise is the 'name of the game'

The large, waterfront windows of Renee Levin’s living room let in the early fall sunlight, highlighting the serene pieces of artwork on the walls. In the middle of the room, though, is a flash of bright red – an exercise ball.

And perched on top? The four-foot-nine, 95-year-old powerhouse herself, engaging her core and showing off the discipline that she’s developed over the decades raising four children, honing her artistic skills and keeping an active lifestyle with the help of Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center.

(She’s showing off a bit of restraint, too: Hurricane Helene and the accompanying wind left Renee’s yard littered with pinecones. She’s admittedly scaling back, limiting herself to filling only two wheelbarrows a day while cleaning up.)

Renee Levin packs a ton of discipline into her tiny frame – she rarely wavers from her structured workout routine, driving herself to LifeFit multiple times a week to get her exercise fix.

“I try to go three days a week,” Renee said. “I think it’s the name of the game.”

Not many 95-year-olds live independently, let alone work out for an hour multiple times every week. Her routine includes making her way through LifeFit’s machines (she doesn’t have a favorite, she said: “I do them all.”) and doing her stretches religiously.

The hospital-based fitness center has come a long way from when it first started, Renee said. She and four friends were the first members of a new osteoporosis prevention exercise group prior to LifeFit opening in 2002 – one of Beaufort Memorial’s first organized fitness groups.

“It certainly has grown, which is wonderful,” she said. “There’s a very nice group of people working there; everybody is very interested and knowledgeable. The hospital has done an excellent job.”

LifeFit has been a cornerstone of health and wellness in the community for over two decades, helping thousands of residents like Renee manage their health through group fitness classes, cardiac rehab and its skilled staff of wellness coaches.

The wellness center is the recipient of the Beaufort Memorial Foundation’s Giving Tuesday campaign this year, with the goal of raising $35,000 to further its mission and for the purchasing of state-of-the-art fitness equipment to meet the continued wellness needs of LifeFit patrons.

“Lifefit Wellness Center’s start-up was funded by the Foundation and grants focused on offering a fitness facility to manage and prevent chronic diseases,” said Kim Yawn, BMH Foundation Chief Development Officer. “The mission of the Foundation is to serve as a catalyst for health and wellness in our community, LifeFit is proof that we are serving that mission.”

Renee, a longtime Beaufort resident, also paints – the evidence of her artistry hangs on the wall of her home and even in something as simple as her description of the picturesque live oak just outside her front door.

“Live oaks aren’t straight up and down,” she gestured, imitating the elegant stretch of the branches. “They’re like a beautiful lady dancing.”

Her large family meant an active household and her passion for art and the beauty around her means an active mind. Her commitment to getting up, getting moving and getting to LifeFit to take advantage of its offerings shows a passion for physical activity, too.

That commitment to exercise and movement is vital, Renee said, whether you’re 95, 45 or 25.

“I think if you sit on the couch and don’t move, you become a blob,” she said matter-of-factly. “If you don’t get up and exercise, you lose everything. Things become negative rather than positive.”

She plans to continue her fitness journey and making LifeFit a priority “for as long as I can,” she said, with no intention of stopping.

“I really think it’s the name of the game,” she repeated, gently bobbing on her red exercise ball. “I can’t ever see myself just sitting.”

To help us meet our goal this Giving Tuesday, December 3, and purchase new equipment for LifeFit Wellness Center, donate today!