Pleasant View in Ottawa aims to set a new world record

Pleasant View will find out in a few months whether its residents have helped set a new record for the Guinness Book of World Records.

Earlier this month, Pleasant View residents, as well as staff and family, took part in an exercise to set a Guinness World Record for the “largest seated group exercise in multiple locations” – a record they hope to set, not beat.

Pleasant View, a continuing care retirement community on Ottawa’s South Side, was one of four Lutheran Life Communities that participated. Participants also were from Lutheran Home, Arlington Heights; Luther Oaks, Bloomington; and Wittenberg Village, Crown Point, Ind.

Joelle Patterson, senior resident life director at Pleasant View, said she has about 30 days to gather the data from an event with a fairly involved process. The rules and regulations involved having stewards to oversee participation, witnesses, pictures and video from various angles, along with specific guidelines to follow for participant sign-in. She said they could have hired Guinness to carry out the event, but it cost $14,000, so staff opted to do it themselves.

“It took a lot of planning, but I do know we had a pretty good number,” Patterson said, adding she’s still tallying the numbers. Pleasant View had 72 participants.

The 30-minute chair exercise included arm and leg movements.

“We said, ‘All you have to do is show up and have fun exercising with us,’” she said. “I think they thought it was going to be more, but because they knew they were going for a record I think they were trying a little bit harder and concentrating.”

Because it was seated, everyone who wanted to participate was able.

“We’re really pushing wellness in all our communities and finding fun, unique ways to promote being healthy,” she said.

The idea came from John Senft, exercise physiologist at Luther Oaks, who had wanted to create the record prior to joining Luther Oaks and pitched the idea.

“All of our residents really enjoyed it and I’m happy it turned out,” Patterson said.

Ottawa Mayor Robb Hasty served as a steward and witnesses included staff from Ottawa Savings Bank, Johnson Law, HomeSmart Realty Group, Ottawa YMCA, Adagio School of Performing Arts and the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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