Aerobics class led by Maitri Director of Nursing, Monique Dupree
Around noon on any given Monday, Maitri Director of Nursing, Monique Dupree, turns up the volume, and everyone finds their rhythm. Some stand. Others settle into chairs. A few catch the beat from their beds through an open doorway down the hall.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s finding movement that feels good, brings joy, and helps you get a little bit healthier. That’s the heartbeat of Move It Mondays, our weekly exercise group.
The healthcare landscape has changed dramatically since our founding, and so have our clients and their needs. Today, the majority of people coming through our doors need medical stabilization and restorative care. Most are either fiercely independent or determined to regain their autonomy.
One of the steepest hurdles they face is the loss of physical strength and muscle mass caused by extended hospital stays and managing complex chronic conditions. For someone who has spent weeks, or even months, confined to a clinical bed, relearning how to trust their body again can feel daunting. But that’s nothing some adapted exercises and great music can’t fix.
Monique leads class by demonstrating each movement and offering personalized modifications so everyone, no matter how frail or what their medical history, can safely build strength, improve mobility, and avoid injury.
More than just a physical routine, these sessions help build community for our in-house and BRANCH clients. Together they can share laughs, learn from each other, steal each other’s moves, and cheer one another on.
One of the shining stars of Move It Mondays recently has been Jerry. Even though he’s in a wheelchair, he loves to participate. He sways to the beat from his wheelchair, his face lighting up with a wide smile as he waits for his personal song request to start playing.
For Jerry, like many of our clients, the hour isn’t just about gentle stretches; it’s the social highlight of their week.
This is the promise of Maitri: meeting people exactly where they are with clinical excellence and unconditional compassion. And sometimes, we do that simply by moving to the beat of a great song — or through an impromptu karaoke session between stretches.
