West Milford The group of a dozen or so women quietly gathered in a large circle, setting the tone for their exercise class. They all bend down to remove their shoes. They are now ready for their next lesson. Dr. Joseph Nies, a West Milford chiropractor, has been arranging these gatherings for the residents of Bald Eagle Commons at the Grange Hall for about four years. The purpose of the class is to provide an exercise routine, sometimes called chair yoga, in which the participants may exert themselves to the extent they are most comfortable with. Although Nies organized his personal brand of chair yoga classes for Bald Eagle residents, he stressed that the exercises themselves are not designed for any particular age group. “These exercises are possible for all ages and for those who are partially disabled,” he said. “They are as challenging as you make them.” Nies starts off by having the women loosen each part of their body through gentle stretches and invigorating shakes. The hour-long routine is clearly familiar to this group of keep-fit enthusiasts as they quickly strike the necessary pose, bending and twisting at the mere mention of the part of the body Nies asks them what to focus on next. “The people here should expect to feel better as a result of participating,” Nies said. “Doing so also lessens the possibility of injury.” As the class moved on and the members started to really limber up, one energetic lady whispered, with just a hint of dread, “It’ll soon be time for the bicycle exercises.” Sure enough, within minutes the women in the group stretched both legs out in front of them as they peddled merrily on their invisible bikes. The dread was apparently soon overcome by the infectious laughter spreading through the room as the women all caught glimpses of each other, legs in the air, feet pumping outward and upward. “I really love coming to these classes and Dr Nies is wonderful,” said Jo Heimers, a resident at the Commons. “Coming here really makes you feel much better and relaxes you. I really feel de-stressed and relaxed after being here.” The class took to its feet for some final stretching. Everyone was feeling the benefit of another hour spent in the company of Dr. Nies. “I like him very much,” said resident Ruth Earl. “These classes make me feel more flexible and they have given me better balance.” Another Commons resident and eager class member, Rosemary Cappola, said, “This class has made me much more flexible. I like it much more than aerobics.” The women gathered up their shoes and already seemed to be looking forward to their next class seven days away. “I think these classes can keep us all flexible,” Nies said. “I think they also keep us as resilient as possible over time.” The smiles and laughs as the class departed seemed to support his claim. The class is held at the Grange each Tuesday afternoon exclusively for the residents of Bald Eagle Commons. Nies also teaches a class each Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Highlands Pool, where all are welcome.