Saturday evening I ran into a former Jazzercise customer of mine from Sun City West, where I used to teach three times a week. Where were we? On the dance floor of one of the hottest dance spots in the Phoenix area – Eli’s. What a blast it was to see this “senior” shaking her booty on the dance floor!
This gal obviously chooses dance as one of her forms of exercise and based on her ability to keep going, it’s working for her. Like most of my class members from SCW, she has probably been Jazzercising for years and it shows. I would describe her as I would the others: energetic, a quick learner, physically fit, and happy.
Have you chosen a form of exercise that works as well for you? Don’t be put off by the word “exercise.” Any activity that gets you moving and you enjoy will work. Gardening, home renovations, dog walking, strolling the beach, rollerblading, tubing, or line dancing are some possibilities. How about yoga, volunteering at the food bank warehouse, cleaning your church sanctuary, taking your grandchildren to the park, playing softball, taking water aerobics, or learning tai chi? You might consider hiking, zumba, bowling, golf, raking the leaves, building a snowman, boogey boarding, or bicycling. That’s the beauty of exercise – the possibilities are endless and you get to choose what you do, as long as you do something!
Let my Jazzercise friend inspire and motivate you. You can look, feel, and be your very best starting today. Why not turn off the computer now and get moving?
Showing posts with label 100. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 100. Show all posts
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
New Jazzercise Class and New Inspiration
Since I last wrote I’ve been given the opportunity to begin a brand new Jazzercise class at a beautiful assisted living facility here in Phoenix. These folks have never done Jazzercise before, and I suspect many have not done much dancing. What a challenge and a treat it has been to introduce them to Jazzercise.
We meet for 45 minutes once a week. It would be a stretch for people in their 20s and 30s to become comfortable with these routines doing them just once a week; can you imagine how much courage and persistence it takes for seniors? Yes, I take it slower than I do with my typical, experienced customers, showing them the moves first and choosing simpler routines. And yes, sometimes they do confuse their right foot with their left or go backward when I go forward.
Still, they’re amazing! I’ve seen such progress in two months. The group stays with me more, taking fewer breaks. They’re adding arm movements to the feet movements (we always say to get the feet first). They’re starting to hear the music, which means they don’t have to focus quite so intently on my every move. They smile more often, and, most importantly, they keep coming back!
That really excites me because I know how good this is for them. Exercise just doesn’t improve cardiovascular condition, flexibility and strength; it also increases blood flow to the brain. This improves memory and reasoning ability and causes endorphins to be released, enhancing mood and relieving mild depression. It will lower their risk for countless diseases and build their confidence.
I love working with seniors! They have a great attitude and really inspire me. I hope I can do as well as they do when I get there. How about you?
We meet for 45 minutes once a week. It would be a stretch for people in their 20s and 30s to become comfortable with these routines doing them just once a week; can you imagine how much courage and persistence it takes for seniors? Yes, I take it slower than I do with my typical, experienced customers, showing them the moves first and choosing simpler routines. And yes, sometimes they do confuse their right foot with their left or go backward when I go forward.
Still, they’re amazing! I’ve seen such progress in two months. The group stays with me more, taking fewer breaks. They’re adding arm movements to the feet movements (we always say to get the feet first). They’re starting to hear the music, which means they don’t have to focus quite so intently on my every move. They smile more often, and, most importantly, they keep coming back!
That really excites me because I know how good this is for them. Exercise just doesn’t improve cardiovascular condition, flexibility and strength; it also increases blood flow to the brain. This improves memory and reasoning ability and causes endorphins to be released, enhancing mood and relieving mild depression. It will lower their risk for countless diseases and build their confidence.
I love working with seniors! They have a great attitude and really inspire me. I hope I can do as well as they do when I get there. How about you?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Exercise Your Way to a Better Life
We’ve been told this for years, and we still don’t get it: to live long and well, we must exercise. There’s just no substitute. Dieting and maintaining a healthy weight are great, but they’re not enough. Exercise does things for the mind and body that diet cannot do, that nothing else can. Let me share just a few ways you’ll benefit from regular exercise. See if you can get excited enough about just one to get you going.
1. Exercise can reduce your risk of cancer or improve your prognosis if you do develop it. As the people I know age, I learn of new cancer diagnoses almost every week. The risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, pancreatic cancer, and several blood forming cancers are all affected by exercise, either directly or indirectly through weight management. Strive to do the highest level of aerobic exercise that you can manage safely and will continue with, since some cancer risks are reduced only with moderate to vigorous exercise.
2. Exercise creates new brain cells. As baby boomers age, more people are becoming interested in maintaining their cognitive abilities. Aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates new brain cell growth and the connections between them. It also increases the supply of BDNF, a protein that promotes the growth of nerve cells and synapses that enhance memory and learning. Last year I lost my father after watching both these capacities diminish in him for the past few years. It was a painful experience for both of us and something I’d like to see us all avoid.
3. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity. As we age or put on weight (or both, as many people do), our bodies become less insulin sensitive, increasing our risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In this case, both aerobic exercise and strength training will garner these benefits provided you exercise at least every other day.
Exercise is a simple and inexpensive approach to minimizing your risk of cancer, memory loss, and diabetes – three major health issues threatening the quality of life for millions of Americans. Join me next time for even more reasons to get off that couch and away from the computer.
Source: Nutrition Action December 2009
1. Exercise can reduce your risk of cancer or improve your prognosis if you do develop it. As the people I know age, I learn of new cancer diagnoses almost every week. The risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, pancreatic cancer, and several blood forming cancers are all affected by exercise, either directly or indirectly through weight management. Strive to do the highest level of aerobic exercise that you can manage safely and will continue with, since some cancer risks are reduced only with moderate to vigorous exercise.
2. Exercise creates new brain cells. As baby boomers age, more people are becoming interested in maintaining their cognitive abilities. Aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates new brain cell growth and the connections between them. It also increases the supply of BDNF, a protein that promotes the growth of nerve cells and synapses that enhance memory and learning. Last year I lost my father after watching both these capacities diminish in him for the past few years. It was a painful experience for both of us and something I’d like to see us all avoid.
3. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity. As we age or put on weight (or both, as many people do), our bodies become less insulin sensitive, increasing our risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In this case, both aerobic exercise and strength training will garner these benefits provided you exercise at least every other day.
Exercise is a simple and inexpensive approach to minimizing your risk of cancer, memory loss, and diabetes – three major health issues threatening the quality of life for millions of Americans. Join me next time for even more reasons to get off that couch and away from the computer.
Source: Nutrition Action December 2009
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Want to Live to be 100?
I do! And, I want to do being strong and well, not tooling around in a scooter if I can avoid it. What does it take? Well, having a unique set of genetic variations that outrank disease-causing genes seems to help, according to the USA Today July 2-5, 2010. While there is no test available for this gene cluster (I wouldn’t want to take it anyway, would you?), you can get a pretty good idea by looking at the longevity in your family. Long life runs in families.
Is that all it takes? No, it’s not necessary or sufficient. Twenty-three percent of the centenarians studied did not have the gene cluster. And even for those that did, a healthy lifestyle and exercise (yes, that “E” word again!) are also required, according to health experts. This includes being at a healthy weight, not smoking, and drinking only in moderation.
So what is the average life expectancy today? It’s 80.4 years for American women and 75.3 years for men. But keep in mind, that’s for people born in 2010. A woman who is age 80 today can expect to live another 9.3 years on average and a man another 7.8 years. The women who are age 90 can expect another 4.8 years and the men another 4.1 (Wellness Letter May 2010). Are the additional years always a good thing? I’d say it depends on the individual’s health. Another four years being bed-ridden and in pain is quite different than four years of enjoying life, family and friends.
Join me in the intention to live to 100 and to do it well, in every sense of the word. Start nurturing yourself today!
Is that all it takes? No, it’s not necessary or sufficient. Twenty-three percent of the centenarians studied did not have the gene cluster. And even for those that did, a healthy lifestyle and exercise (yes, that “E” word again!) are also required, according to health experts. This includes being at a healthy weight, not smoking, and drinking only in moderation.
So what is the average life expectancy today? It’s 80.4 years for American women and 75.3 years for men. But keep in mind, that’s for people born in 2010. A woman who is age 80 today can expect to live another 9.3 years on average and a man another 7.8 years. The women who are age 90 can expect another 4.8 years and the men another 4.1 (Wellness Letter May 2010). Are the additional years always a good thing? I’d say it depends on the individual’s health. Another four years being bed-ridden and in pain is quite different than four years of enjoying life, family and friends.
Join me in the intention to live to 100 and to do it well, in every sense of the word. Start nurturing yourself today!
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