Mary Ann Wilson (born May 15, 1938) is an American nurse and TV fitness instructor.[1] Wilson is also the founder and host of the award-winning exercise show Sit and Be Fit,[2] which is broadcast on over 100 PBS television stations across the United States.[3]
In 1987, Wilson started the PBS show Sit and Be Fit which includes a variety of exercises for the elderly and people with limited mobility.[4] The show revolves around exercises that can be done while sitting in or using a chair, with little effort.[5]
Wilson graduated in 1959 from St. Francis Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She began her career as a registered nurse specializing in geriatrics and post-polio rehab.[6] In 1985, while teaching an aerobics class, she noticed her older adult clients suffering a high incidence of injury and attrition. In response, she designed a gentle program tailored to their needs. As students began reporting marked improvement in their physical and mental health, Wilson became convinced that there was a need for this type of exercise program on a national level. In 1987, KSPS-TV agreed to produce her Sit and Be Fit television series and distributed the first 30 episodes nationwide.[7] Sit and Be Fit has aired regularly on PBS stations nationwide ever since.[8]
Wilson is the author of several health and fitness publications, including Chair Exercise Basics and has been featured in columns on health in the aging community. She educates healthcare and fitness professionals at national and international health conferences.
In 2010, Wilson served as a national spokesperson for the Prevent DVT coalition. In 2017 she was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame.
Wilson's current activities and history include:
Wilson and her daughter, Gretchen Wilson, (born 1961)[10] who produces and directs the Sit and Be Fit programs her mother hosts, also appear together in the Boomer Be Fit DVD, which Wilson hosts. They reside in Spokane, Washington, where both the Sit and Be Fit TV program and the SABF organization, which is non-profit, are based.[11]