A Brooklyn program encourages seniors to stick with keeping in shape into their golden years. As NY1 Health & Fitness reporter Kafi Drexel explains in the following report, all it takes is a little "leap" of faith.

If Nadia Comaneci or Mary Lou Retton plan on hitting the seniors circuit any time soon, they better watch out for some New Yorkers.

It's no longer gymnastics, but "SLIM-nastics", all part of the free Seniors in Shape program for adults 55 and up at Aviator Sports and Recreation in Brooklyn.

“It's so important to keep the mind, the body, and spirit healthy,” said Susan Lavin of Seniors in Shape. “Just if you just move and come out one day, maybe you just want to sit down and watch the class, it's the feeling of seeing something positive working and that will eventually take off in you.”

Things certainly have taken off for this group. Focusing on stretching, balance, and strengthening skills — the program's designed specifically for the health needs of older adult. If it's surprising to see the limits they're reaching, many of these "gymnasts in training" say they've surpassed even their own expectations.

Less than a year ago, Cheri Gibson, 71, wasn't even walking. She was wheel-chair bound.

“I think you can do anything you set your mind to,” said Gibson. ”It's just that you have to set your mind to do it. I could have just stayed and not get up off the floor and wait for [the instructor] to pick me up but he showed me how to roll over and how to get up by myself. I stumble a little bit, but I'm getting up and I'm proud.”

“When they first walked in eight months ago they thought I was insane for showing them some stretches and some rolls and some jumps,” said Julio Pacheco of Seniors in Shape. “In the beginning, they hesitated a bit but I just kept encouraging them, and they amaze me.”

If jumping around on a trampoline wasn't already enough, the Seniors in Shape program also offers dance classes, tai chi, arthritis exercise, and even boot camp.

While you can never really turn back the clock on aging, this group says staying active can help keep it ticking for a pretty long time. Just ask the Migliozzis — married 53 years.

“We always feel as if we are not going to feel real old,” said Angela Migliozzi. “We may age in number, but as far as our physical appearance, when we go out we just love it.”

“I expect to live until 120 so I have to stay physically fit and this is the place that's going to keep me that way,” added her husband Clemente.

To find out more about the Seniors in Shape program, call 718-758-9800 or go to www.aviatorsports.com.

- Kafi Drexel