LOS ANGELES — At the Veteran Affairs Gerofit program, caring for older veterans comes in the way of exercise classes.

Twice a week, veterans come together to stretch and strengthen their muscles with the goal of improving mobility. The results are veterans who can continue to do what they love doing while also enjoying the camaraderie of fellow veterans.

U.S. Air Force veteran Robert Cleaves is one of the many veteran participants. He enjoys using the gaming exercise bikes at the program, but that is not his preferred ride. 

Cleaves flew fighter jets for the Air Force for 33 years, including during the Korean War. After the service, he continued flying for fun and even switched gears to drive racing cars recreationally. 

With a clear need for speed and a lifetime of experiences, at 93 years old, it has not been easy to be limited in his mobility. He fell and broke his hip last year, which landed him on a walker.

It's why Cleaves is participating in the Gerofit program, laser-focused on a new goal. He uses the gaming exercise bikes and front and center at the exercise classes, working to improve his endurance, strength and balance. 

"I am trying because it helps. If you don't try, you don't get better. And I want to get better," he said.

Getting better is a goal that aligns with the program's mission to get older veterans who are at risk of mobility decline back into shape. 

It's what happened with Army and Navy veteran Grant Blackman, who has been a participant since the program first came to Los Angeles in 2014. 

"I probably would not even be walking right now, would I have not come out here," he said. 

Blackman joined the army at seventeen and continued staying fit after the service, boxing professionally for some years. But his health declined, and soon he was having difficulty getting around. He got put into a motorized scooter.

Now, he enjoys the casual boxing with some of the UCLA student staff members who help run the program's exercise classes. 

The student volunteers create an intergenerational community, bringing in energy and opportunities for these veterans to pass on their stories and wisdom. 

The program is also overseen by two physicians who routinely check in with the vets. One of them is Dr. Steve Castle, who says it's not just about physical health. 

"The other part is social interaction," he said. "We've actually shown reduction in PTSD within a month of joining the Gerofit program."

Adding that for him, this has been the most rewarding part of Castle's 40-year career with the VA. 

"I see individuals, no matter where they're starting, get better before your very eyes, and you see this brightness come in their eyes," he said.

The shared laughs in between exercise reps are uniquely healing for the veterans, their spouses and even the caregivers who are all able to participate. 

"It's delightful to be able to have people that you can talk to, who have things they can talk to you about as well," said Cleaves. 

The special bond hangs around their necks, with everyone wearing name tags with their nicknames on it. In most cases, like Cleaves', it's the one they got in the service. 

"The only nickname I have ever had was Red Dog, so that is what they put on my name tag," he said.

This year, the LA center received gaming bikes donated by Blue Gogi that are intended to improve physical but also cognitive health and delay dementia. 

By using the bikes, the hope is to help veterans continue to remember all they have done for the country, all they have lived, and the memories they continue to create while working to get back to doing what they love.