For thousands of generations, after a busy season of hunting and gathering from the land, Alaska Native and American Indian people would make regalia and herbal medicines in the colder months. The tradition continues with the help of Southcentral Foundation’s Traditional Healing Clinic, which hosts cultural classes for customer-owners in Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and for SCF employees.

By Addison Arave
While a sense of normalcy has been rare in recent months, many Southcentral Foundation departments are working to provide services for customer-owners as consistently as possible. Services such as SCF’s Physical Therapy and Exercise began offering an online option via Zoom, allowing customer-owners and employees to participate in exercise classes from the comfort and safety of their homes.

Though there is no replacement for in-person interaction, the reach for this service has gone beyond Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna Borough participants. Rural customer-owners have joined in and connected with SCF physical therapists and class instructors and thanked employees for the opportunity in a time where rural visits may be difficult.

“People have shown a lot of gratitude and appreciation for hosting the classes,” said Senior Exercise Physiologist Sara Tansey. “They have also expressed gratitude for clearing spaces in our homes to allow for classes. There’s been a lot of fluctuation in online participation over the time the virtual classes have been offered, but this is to be expected during the summer when people are more able to get outside for their physical activity.”
SCF Physical Therapy and Exercise aims to provide something for everyone at various times throughout the day, including Morning Stretch, Basic Yoga, Boot Camp, Pilates, and more. A variety of classes and activities for every skill level are offered for customer-owners to participate in.

To join a Zoom class, follow these simple steps:
Visit Zoom.us in your browser on the day and time of the desired class.
Select “Join a Meeting” in the top left corner of the screen.
Enter the meeting ID for the desired class (meeting IDs are published with the class schedule).
Enter the meeting password: Exercise
Get moving!
View the class schedule by visiting the SCF Physical Therapy and Exercise page at southcentralfoundation.com. For questions or feedback, contact SCF Physical Therapy and Exercise at (907) 729-6683.

Southcentral Foundation strives to support the health and wellness of Elder customer-owners.