Treyton Oak Towers

By RUSS BROWN • Photos By Kathryn Harrington • Sponsored

One could suggest that Leigh Pittenger is a woman for all seasons or a renaissance woman at Treyton Oak Towers. Her official title is “Fitness, Wellness, and Spiritual Care Coordinator", but that description hardly does justice to her and the programs she oversees at the nearly 42-year-old senior living facility in Old Louisville.

Treyton Oak Towers is something of an anomaly among such establishments. Having a full-time, dedicated wellness director isn't necessarily the norm in senior living, let alone the wide variety of programs Pittenger now directs since joining the team in March. 

"Wellness programming is a pillar of life at Treyton Oak Towers, and we weave it into the programs and experiences we offer every day,” said Robert Young, Director of Business Development. “Leigh brings expertise across several areas of wellness, helping us create programs that support residents’ physical, mental and social well-being while encouraging them to stay active and build meaningful connections both inside and outside the community."

Pittenger has the responsibility of running various classes that cover everything from strength training and aquatics to mind exercises that involve movement. She holds classes for independent, personal care/memory care, and skilled (or long-term care) residents alike. Relying on her studies in divinity, she also offers counseling sessions for residents and employees, along with some chaplaincy-type work such as visiting residents when they are ill.

Pittenger offers options for different interests and fitness levels so that residents can choose the activities that feel right for them. 

A partial list would include:

Strength and conditioning to help maintain muscle, mobility and independence; balance and stability training to support confidence in everyday movement; chair fitness and low-impact exercise; Yoga, relaxation, and mindfulness-based sessions that create healthy habits and social connection; stretching and flexibility classes to improve range of motion and reduce stiffness.

Pittenger, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., who has lived in Louisville with her husband for five years, brought a wealth of education, knowledge, and experience to her new, extensive role. Her resume reads like a woman who has led not just one life, but several over a wide range of professions. A sampling:

She taught English at a college in Lithuania; worked in the book publishing business as a freelance editor; taught religious studies at Rhodes College and Christian Brothers University, both in Memphis; taught yoga and other fitness classes. Along the way she earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Vanderbilt, a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Kentucky, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Middle Tennessee State University.  

Whew! No wonder Treyton Oak Towers created a broader title for her position. So after all that, what appealed to her about Treyton Oak Towers, a nonprofit Life Plan Community?

"I saw an ad for the Treyton Oak Towers position and I was eager for an opportunity to lead yoga and fitness classes again with an older adult population," Pittenger said. When I came in for the interview, things just seemed to click. Since they no longer had a chaplain on staff, they thought I might be able to help meet some needs for spiritual care in the community. I was thrilled to land a position that valued my background and skills in different areas and that would allow me to engage with older adults in a variety of ways. I love working with this population at Treyton Oak Towers."

That love and dedication have been reciprocal. Pittenger has found that the residents are dedicated to their exercise classes, even to the point of choosing fitness classes three times a day in several cases.

"For those of us who need some encouragement, Leigh brings a sense of camaraderie to her group exercise classes," said resident Jo Ellen Leonard. "From standard classes to innovative ones on improving balance, backs, and brains, she strives to help us reach our best, healthy selves."

Another resident, Jill Harmer, says Pittenger leads exercise classes with enthusiasm and creativity, adding that "she is a people person. Her two spiritual lectures and discussions on a movie and a book were highly attended and I look forward to her next one. I like this place a lot better with her here."

Pittenger said the residents have been receptive to the new classes she is offering, including "Brain Boost," "Back Care from the Chair," "Posture, Breath, and Balance," along with a book/film discussion group on contemporary spiritual issues.

Pittenger said her goals are to help residents (and staff) feel supported in pursuing their own health goals, encouraging them to listen to their own bodies and their own wisdom, and to share their needs with her so she can serve as a better resource.

"I want them to know that I care about them as whole persons -- body, mind, and spirit," she said. "I don't measure 'fitness' in terms of meeting some predetermined metric. Rather, I just want to help people enhance their sense of well-being on a daily basis, through movement, breath, self-awareness, and social support."

Despite having been on the Treyton Oak Towers staff for only seven months, Pittenger has already earned the respect and fondness of the residents and has made a strong positive impact on the facility overall.

"What we have found in Leigh so far is her passion for teaching," Young said. "She is just a phenomenal leader to our residents. She is very open to trying new classes and techniques, and is an integral part of our community."