Mary Johnson says she hates exercise and would rather be home relaxing on the couch, but she knows how important workouts are to her well-being.

“I used to get a backache and couldn’t stand for long periods of time,” the Saline resident said. “I make myself do it.”

But after taking the ball exercise class taught by Mark A. Harris of M.A.H. Fitness, at the Saline Senior Center, all that has changed. She says she’s now able to stand and cook, and do many things that she couldn’t accomplish before without pain.

“This is good exercise for anyone,” she said of the classes, which meet twice a week.

Her daughter Cicely Johnson also joins her. Calling herself “a senior in training,” she said she wanted to exercise and this class provided a good option because she could attend after work.

The program consists of a “well-rounded, gentle workout enhancing flexibility, strength, cardiovascular fitness and coordination,” according to its description.

Participants are seated on large exercise balls for much of the class, which helps them develop their core muscles and reduces stress on their joints, Harris says.

There are additional exercises that are done standing against a wall or by using the ball for balance.

“It helps with balance, core (muscles), strengthening, aerobics and it’s fun,” said Cynthia Nachtrieb of Ann Arbor.

Harris said the ball class is good for anyone. “If you can sit, you can do this,” he said during a recent class while gently bouncing up and down on the ball to warm up.

“The ball equalizes the playing field,” he said, adding that the oldest student to take his classes was 92.

Take jumping jacks, for instance. Instead of pounding on feet and knees, this exercise can be done sitting down, and lessens the impact on the joints.

He explained that studies have shown that our changing lifestyles, which are now filled with gadgets that do the work for us and take less physical energy to perform, means we are using fewer calories in a day. This is part of the reason why people are packing on the pounds.

Where once we cranked open car windows or opened doors, today that’s all done by touching a switch.

In addition to working on balance, strength and flexibility, the class also includes cognitive skills where participants have to think about moving opposing legs and arms, up and down and in and out, which is a lot harder than people would think.

The classes take place on Wednesdays from 4-5 p.m. and on Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. Participants buy and bring their own exercise balls to sit on. Members pay $5 a class and the classes run for 6 weeks.

Membership fees for the senior center are $10 for people in the Saline School District, $20 for non-Saline residents, and $5 for those older than 80. It’s $30 for those 45 to 54 years old who live in the Saline School District or $40 for the same age group who live outside the district.

Non-members can take the class, but it will cost an additional $5.

This session wraps up the week of July 26, and will begin again in September.

Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Saline stories, visit our Saline page.