A First Person Look at Slide City Chair Aerobics at North Birmingham Regional Library

90-year-old Alice Huggins is among 50 participants in Slide City Chair Aerobics.

 

BPL PR Specialist Roy Williams prepares for 1st Slide City Chair Aerobics class.  

I Traded My Camera for an Exercise Ball: Inside North Birmingham Regional Library’s Slide City Chair Aerobics, where more than 50 people return three mornings a week for much more than a workout.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The music starts.

The Commodores’ classic hit “Zoom” fills the room as more than 50 participants begin their morning warm-up. Brightly colored exercise balls rest in everyone’s hands as Samantha Gaston welcomes another group of participants to Slide City Chair Aerobics at North Birmingham Regional Library.

Thirty minutes later, those same participants are laughing, sweating and celebrating another workout completed together.

Welcome to Slide City Chair Aerobics.

For the past three months, I’ve watched it through my camera lens. This week, I decided to experience it myself.

As Birmingham Public Library’s public relations specialist (after spending 25 years as a newspaper reporter), I’m usually the person behind the camera. My job is to photograph library programs, interview participants and tell their stories through press releases, blogs and social media.

I had photographed and recorded Slide City Chair Aerobics three different times. Every visit ended the same way.  I walked away thinking: “Those folks are getting a serious workout.”

But photographs and videos only tell part of the story.

To truly understand why more than 50 people — most of them seniors in their mid-60s and up — gather three mornings each week for a free 30-minute workout, I realized I had to put my camera down, pick up an exercise ball and become part of the class.

So before heading to North Birmingham Regional Library, I called class instructor and library circulation manager Samantha Gaston.

“Have an exercise ball ready for me,” I told her. “I’m joining the class.”

She laughed. Samantha knows exactly what happens during those 30 minutes. She has been leading Slide City Chair Aerobics for more than two years.

Although her daily role is managing circulation services, she continues to contribute to the Adult Department by teaching the popular wellness program she helped grow from a small gathering into one of BPL’s most successful community fitness offerings.

When I walked into the multipurpose room, Samantha greeted me with a smile.

Sure enough, an exercise ball was waiting.

For the first time in my career, I wasn’t preparing to cover the story.

I was preparing to become part of it.

Discovery No. 1: Chair Aerobics Is No Joke

The music began with “Zoom” by the Commodores as Samantha guided the class through warm-up exercises, encouraging everyone to stretch, move and prepare for the workout ahead.

Then everything changed.

For the next 30 minutes, North Birmingham Regional Library looked less like a traditional library and more like a neighborhood fitness center.

The class moved to an energetic playlist filled with classic R&B, old-school favorites and songs that kept everyone moving.

The workout ended with another memorable musical moment.

As Luther Vandross’ “Promise Me” played during the cool-down, participants slowed their movements, stretched and celebrated another successful class together.

Having photographed the class three times, I knew it looked challenging.

Participating in it was another story. At age 61, I quickly discovered that Samantha’s “chair aerobics” requires a lot of energy. She is a caring instructor, telling participants to take a break if they get too tired.

By the cardio portion, I was moving my arms, lifting the exercise ball, keeping time with the music and wondering whether my years carrying a camera had prepared me for carrying an exercise ball.

They had not.

Thirty minutes later, I walked away tired, sweaty and feeling muscles I hadn’t used in a while.

But I also walked away feeling great.

I had just completed a challenging full-body workout that lasted only 30 minutes. The best part was it was completely free.

Samantha Gaston, Slide City Chair Aerobics Instructor

                                            

 Discovery No. 2: Samantha Gaston Built More Than an Exercise Class

When Samantha Gaston introduced Slide City Chair Aerobics in February 2024, only five people attended.

Today, more than 50 participants regularly fill the room three mornings every week.

“Slide City Chair Aerobics is much more than an exercise class,” Samantha said. “It’s a welcoming community where adults and seniors come together to stay active, have fun and encourage one another. Beyond the workout, we celebrate birthdays, hold monthly prize raffles and create an atmosphere where everyone feels supported and motivated to live a healthier lifestyle.”

Listening to Samantha, I realized she wasn’t measuring success by calories burned.

She was measuring success by lives changed and friendships built.

That may be the program’s greatest accomplishment.

Instructor Samantha Gaston leads class in a stretching exercise.

Discovery No. 3: The Real Story

When I walked into North Birmingham Regional Library that morning, I expected to get a good workout.

I certainly did.

What I didn’t expect was to leave inspired by the people around me.

A 90-year-old woman who never missed a beat.

A grandfather and granddaughter exercising side by side.

A room filled with laughter, encouragement and music.

An instructor whose passion has helped transform a simple exercise class into a true community experience.

As a reporter and public relations professional, I’ve spent nearly 40 years telling other people’s stories.

This time, however, I wasn’t standing behind the camera.

I was part of the story. I came expecting to learn about chair aerobics. Instead, I discovered something much bigger.

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning, North Birmingham Regional Library becomes more than a traditional library. It is transformed into a place where neighbors encourage one another, friendships grow and healthier lives begin, one 30-minute workout at a time.

I expected to get a workout. I didn’t expect to meet a community.

Sometimes the best stories aren’t the ones you cover.

They’re the ones you experience.

Discovery No. 4: A Library Program Getting Attention

Slide City Chair Aerobics has become one of Birmingham Public Library's most successful wellness programs, drawing attention well beyond the library's walls.

The class has attracted attention from local television stations, including ABC 33/40 and WBRC Fox 6, which on Thursday, July 16, visited North Birmingham Regional Library to spotlight how a free library fitness class has become a thriving community gathering place.

The Fox 6 story will air this weekend, and I will insert a link after it airs.

🎥 Watch Slide City Chair Aerobics in Action by clicking here

Words and photographs only tell part of the story. To truly experience the energy, music and enthusiasm that make Slide City Chair Aerobics one of Birmingham Public Library's most popular wellness programs, click on the Slide City Chair Aerobics link from the BPL Facebook page above.

If you enjoyed this story, learn more about Birmingham Public Library's health and wellness programs.

👉 Meet Samantha Gaston — Read my Q&A with the instructor behind Slide City Chair Aerobics.

👉 More Ways to Stay Active at Birmingham Public Library — Discover free chair aerobics, line dancing, chair yoga and other wellness programs offered throughout BPL's 17 locations.

👉 Watch the Facebook Reel — Experience the energy of Slide City Chair Aerobics through highlights from the July 16 class.

Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist - Birmingham Public Library

 📸 Photo Gallery

Want to see what Slide City Chair Aerobics is all about?

Check out these photos below from recent classes and experience the energy, enthusiasm and community that make this one of Birmingham Public Library's most popular wellness programs.