Lifting People. Strengthening Community.
COURTESY OF THE BANGOR REGION YMCA
“I love the Y because it has improved my health and wellbeing especially during my recovery from my back injury. I really, truly appreciate the Y and all the support it has provided. The staff are so awesome; always friendly and supportive. The trainers are awesome, especially Travis and Sara. They have helped me tremendously. With their help, I have been able to regain my strength and mobility. The maintenance crew are also outstanding. Anything that needs to be fixed with the equipment, they do it immediately while also being friendly and helpful. This is why I love the Y!” – Dave, Y Member
Health. Friendships. Laughter. Fun. If you’re seeking a healthy, enriching, social, and educational life, The Bangor Region YMCA is for YOU! The moment you walk through our doors, you’re greeted with a smile and a “hello” by our Member Experience Associates who are ready to show you around our Y during your first visit, get to know you, and answer any questions you may have in the future―you’re on your way to making new friends. During your tour, you’ll discover our Y is a community hub serving people ages 6 months to 102 years old from more than 23 towns and all walks of life. We offer a wide variety of programs and services for all ages to help fulfill the needs of the Bangor region—all while providing a fun, friendly environment where all are welcome, and friendships are made.
“The encouragement, support, and the friendships you make here at the Y really touch my heart. I love it every day,” says Carolyn Hathaway. She and her husband, Rod, have been members of our Y for 12 years and take advantage of the 75+ fitness classes that are included with their Y membership or are in our Fitness Center working out while laughing and chatting with fellow members.
Our Y membership includes a wide variety of fitness classes―from yoga and Tai Chi to dance fitness, to strength training to classes specifically designed to help older adults improve their balance, strength, mobility, and flexibility―all taught by Certified Instructors and Personal Trainers. Our fitness classes don’t just help people stay active; our classes help people continue to do the most important activities in their lives. Take it from Patti Alquist, who has been a Y member for 18 years and shared her experience of when she started taking our Group Power class.
“It was very welcoming, and everybody was so helpful and encouraging,” says Alquist. “My body changed; I didn’t expect that. I just wanted to get strong and fit again. I have 4 grandchildren and I like rolling around on the floor with them and I like playing with them. I like being silly and goofy with them without being afraid of being hurt, and I can do that now! All the muscles around my legs have gotten so strong from just learning how to balance better and my achy knees have gone away. My range of motion has improved for various things. It’s been spiritual, emotional, and strength-wise, it’s an amazing class.”
The camaraderie and health benefits aren’t just within our fitness classes. Avid pool-goer, Joe Pickering, has been a Y member for 21 years and says, “The Bangor Region YMCA has changed my life with the smiles I get when entering the Y, seeing the Welcome Center staff in the lobby, and the life changing activities and exercises the Y provides in the pool, gym, and such programs such as aqua fitness classes, 50+ ‘N Fit and the other multiple programs.”
Not only does our Y membership include everything Joe mentioned, but it also includes some of our Evidence-Based programs to help support those living with a chronic disease: LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA for cancer survivors, Cardiac Disease Rehabilitation & Secondary Prevention, Arthritis/Bone Health, and our Neuro Health Program for Patients and their Care Partners living with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease, or dementia—all come free with a Y membership.
Robert and Deborah Harvey joined our Y’s Neuro Health Program for Patients and their Care Partners and benefitted beyond their expectations—both physically and mentally—from this program. “The exercise program is very well run and fits the needs of both the patient and care partner, with individual assistance as needed by the Certified Personal Trainers. Deb enjoys doing the exercises and I also look forward to the exercises and know that it has improved my balance. The discussions in the support groups are also very helpful emotionally and socially. We greatly benefit from this entire program.”
In addition to having unlimited access to our land and water fitness classes—with the earliest classes beginning at 5:45 a.m. and the latest classes beginning at 6:45 p.m.—Fitness Center, Weight Room, two swimming pools (with two different water temperatures), and saunas in our locker rooms, a membership to the Bangor Region YMCA also includes our Second Wind Social Club, a program created to help older adults connect and make new friends while taking part in fun social activities like Second Wind’s Coffee & Conversation, Mahjong, Thrilling Book Club, Scrapbooking Club, and Card Games Club, all held in the Isaac Farrar Mansion. In addition to weekly and monthly activities, members of our Second Wind Social Club host special events like the very popular February Love Bunch Afternoon Tea, with the help of our incredible Family Programming Coordinator, Alyssa Gutib.
All this is included in a Bangor Region YMCA Older Adults, Veteran, and First Responder Membership for $41 per month. Financial assistance is available for
