At age 68, these twins have started their fitness journeys together at the Norton Sports Health Performance & Wellness Center by taking part in the facility’s Senior LIFEready program

Published: March 27, 2023

Twins are said to have a special kind of chemistry, one that sets them apart from the average set of siblings.

The connection is said to be so strong, it’s like they can finish each other’s sentences. For twin sisters Marla Squires and Carla Haas, it’s more like the ability to read each other’s minds.

“I used to get a birthday card in the mail from her, and it was the same one I sent her,” Marla said. “We’ve bought each other the same Christmas gifts.”

“We’ve gone to see each other, and to our surprise, we had on the same outfit, maybe in a different color,” Carla said. “It’s always been that way.”

Now, at age 68, their sibling relationship has evolved to include finishing each other’s workouts.

Carla and Marla have started their fitness journeys together at the Norton Sports Health Performance & Wellness Center, taking part in the facility’s Senior LIFEready program.

The Norton Sports Health Performance & Wellness Center, which also has SPORTready classes for young athletes and LIFEready classes for adults, offers the Senior LIFEready program for those ages 65 and older. It features coach-led classes that focus on increasing range of movement and strengthening muscles for daily activities.

These classes are free for Silver Sneakers and Renew Active members and cost $65 a month for unlimited classes for those 65 and older adults who are not Silver Sneakers or Renew Active members.

“I think it’s important to have the class setting, because it’s too easy to get up and say, ‘Oh, I know I need to exercise,’” Carla said. “But if I go by myself, there’s always that reason not to go. So it’s nice to have that class to go to.”

After separation of miles and years, sisters are just 3 miles apart

The twins’ co-fitness journey started in January 2023, and has become an intersection of their life journeys.

They were born in Illinois and lived together until 1980, when Marla and her husband moved to Savannah, Georgia, to accommodate his career.

For 42 years, they lived in different cities.

A few years ago that changed, when Carla and her husband moved from Florida to Louisville, just 3 miles away from her sister’s house. Reunited again, this time for good.

But this reunion was much more meaningful than simply spending more time with each other. The sisters also want to spend more time with their grandchildren. To them, that means staying healthy enough for long enough to watch them grow up.

“We do a lot with our grandkids,” Marla said. “[I want to] be able to get on the floor with them and play. But yeah, being active, not only for longevity, but to be active with our kids and grandkids — that’s very important.”

“We want to be an example for them that it’s important, as you age, to stay active and to stay fit,” Carla said. “So we want to be an example for what they need to do as they age.”

Carla and Marla attend three weekly classes, including circuit training on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and yoga on Wednesday afternoons. They believe the classes have delivered physical and mental results.

“We are a support system for each other,” Carla said. “We encourage each other, and it’s been a great experience, and we look forward to continue to build our strength.”

They plan to continue their fitness journeys together, using each other to hold themselves accountable, while strengthening their long-standing twin synergy one class at a time.

“Being here at Norton and having the class, we actually feel like we’ve grown. We’re a little family now,” Carla said. “We’ve met so many great friends here, and so we look forward to coming just to hang out with them for a little bit — but yes get some health benefits as well.”