Pine celebrates SilverSneakers instructor for being named a finalist for national award

Pine Township’s SilverSneakers instructor Leslie Basilone was honored for being named a finalist for the SilverSneakers Member of the Year Inspiration Award in a ceremony Nov. 7 at the Pine Community Center.

SilverSneakers, a leading fitness program for older adults, established the Inspiration Award to celebrate individuals who demonstrate perseverance, dedication to inspiring others and set a positive example in their community.

From more than 800 nominations nationwide, Basilone was named a finalist for demonstrating that nothing can keep her from fitness classes and for expressing her love of life through daily physical activity.

Basilone, 66, originally hails from Squirrel Hill and now resides in Wexford. The SilverSneakers instructor originally started out as a member attending classes at the community center.

“I’ve always been someone who exercises, goes to the gym and all that,” Basilone said.

Basilone started going to SilverSneakers classes in 2021. As several instructors quit and the number of classes per week diminished, Basilone decided to look into what she could do.

“I talked to Tyler Walker and one of the other SilverSneakers instructors and learned that you didn’t have to be a personal trainer to be an instructor. All you had to do was train in SilverSneakers,” she said.

In the meantime, she was dealing with some health challenges. Having undergone a total knee replacement in April 2024, as well as living with multiple sclerosis and Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder, Basilone is no stranger to the barriers older adults face while trying to stay healthy.

Basilone trained for two months to become a SilverSneakers instructor and started teaching classes in December 2024, just eight months after her knee replacement.

Originally, Basilone taught one class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“The first couple weeks were a little rocky, but all of the wonderful people stuck with me and now all of my classes are full. It’s so much fun,” Basilone said.

Now, she teaches two classes on Mondays and two on Wednesdays. Basilone’s classes involve low-impact cardio, dumbbells and exercise balls.

“It’s nice to help other people stay healthy while I’m staying healthy. I was really humbled and grateful to be nominated for the award. It’s such a great honor to think that people thought that highly of me,” Basilone said.

One of her favorite moments while teaching is when the class starts singing along to the music playing during the exercises.

“I play a lot of Motown and oldies that people my age know during classes. I always say, ‘If you know the words, sing along because then I know you’re breathing.’ So a lot of times people will sing through the class, and that’s a lot of fun,” Basilone said.

For older adults who have gotten out of the habit of exercising, Basilone offered this advice:

“You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. Never compare yourself to the person next to you in class. Very often in my class, living with MS and Hashimoto’s, I don’t have great balance so I have to hold on while doing the exercises. Just modify exercises to fit your level. Don’t be embarrassed because everyone has to modify sometimes. Just go for it and do what you can. Motion is lotion, and it’s so important for older adults to keep our joints moving,” Basilone said.