All Life is Learning - March 2025

Shared Interest Groups 

Have you ever met new friends in an OLLI class that you really clicked with but weren’t sure how to go about connecting again? Here’s how—join or form an OLLI “Shared Interest Group!” 

Shared Interest Groups (or SIGs) consist of members who want to continue learning about the topic of an OLLI class that they have taken or maybe they have a special interest they want to share with others. SIG members set their own agenda, place to meet, how often they meet, and how they organize their activities. OLLI staff is not involved except to promote the SIG via the newsletter and website. In other words, the SIGs run themselves!

One of the earliest SIGs was formed when a group that took a German language class wanted to continue practicing their German. Another is the Film SIG, where about 50 film buffs watch and discuss movies together at the Celebration Theatre in Portage. Other SIGs include Playing Pétanque, OLLI’s Senior Readers Theater—and the newest SIG—a Photography group!

The Photography SIG meets once a month and is perfect for anyone who loves taking photos and is interested in learning more about the artistic, organizational, and technical aspects of producing and sharing beautiful photos. Members use both cameras and mobile phones to capture images of people and things that interest them. If you are interested in joining the Photography SIG, please contact Gillian Stoltman at gillianstoltman@gmail.com or Carole Smith at carolesmith@chartermi.net.

OLLI members have also mentioned that there might be people interested in a book club, dining out, brain games, walking clubs, and travel SIGs. If any of those topics interest you, please email Gillian and she will answer your questions about starting a SIG and can connect you with others who have indicated the same interest. 

Shared Interest Groups are a benefit that only OLLI members can access, so if you have a friend who is interested in a SIG but isn’t a member, please encourage them to join our lifelong learning community!

Save the Date!

Mark your calendars for A Life Well Lived – Kalamazoo’s final event with Visiting Scholar Sky Bergman on March 15 at 2 p.m.! An accomplished, award-winning filmmaker, the documentary “Lives Well Lived” was Sky’s directorial debut. Following Sky Bergman’s talk, there will be a Photovoice exhibit of OLLI members’ works, a screening of films made by WMU students featuring OLLI and Ecumenical Senior Center members discussing what a life well lived means to them, and refreshments. This free event will be held on Western Michigan University’s campus at 1303 Dunbar Hall; the exhibits will be presented in the Richmond Center for the Visual Arts. Parking is available at the Miller Parking garage. You can register for this free event by clicking here. We look forward to seeing you there!

Exercise for Cognitive Health? You Had Better Believe It!

Manager of Corporate Outreach 
ACSM Exercise Physiologist 
NCFI Corporate Fitness Specialist 
West Hills Athletic Club, WMU

If you are reading this, you likely still have good cognitive function. Not to be confused with mental health, this article will focus on how cognitive function can be improved with exercise. The benefits of regular exercise are countless and seem to have a reciprocal relationship with each other. If I exercise regularly, my stress is managed, I feel better about myself, I sleep better, I eat better, my clothes fit comfortably, day-to-day tasks seem easier, my immune system is stronger, I’m less likely to suffer from osteoporosis, and on and on. I was surprised to learn that physical exercise actually facilitates the development of new neurons, known as neurogenesis, and the formation of new synapses, known as synaptogenesis. Wow—all the years of my youth when mom was warning me about killing brain cells, she forgot to tell me we could grow them back!

How?! The current empirically supported findings show that an improvement of cerebrovascular system, because of improved overall cardiovascular function, is a side effect of exercise. The mechanisms appear to be the association between regular exercise and neurotropic factors, particularly the plasticity of the synapses, which affects memory, in addition to the development of new neurons and synapses. A recent study concluded that amplitude, attention span, and latency, or speed of information processing, are both higher functioning in individuals involved in regular exercise compared to a control group. Another study determined that regular exercise resulted in a 35% lower risk of cognitive decline later in life. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per day, and at least two times per week to include weightlifting and stretching. I have talked ad nauseam about the benefits of weightlifting to counter sarcopenia, age related muscular disintegration, all while never knowing that it counters age related brain disintegration as well!