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Young at Heart Final 2022

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Importance of Exercise for Health Did you know that adults are recommended to get at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise AND 2 days of strength training in a week? I know many of you are thinking, "Great! I get my exercise in by walking", while others are saying, "I'm active in my garden all day". This simply is not enough. Exercise is different than being active. Exer- cise requires effort and it is with the intent to improve your health and fitness. When we exercise, our heart rate increases, circulating more oxygen- ated blood throughout our body which improves our cardiovascular system. Exercise also reduces our risk of cancer and diabe- tes, while increasing bone density, aids in arthritis and improves our mental health and sleep. Exercise needs to be a vital compo- nent of our daily routine, especially as we age. Walking is the most common form of exercise, especially since we live in such a beautiful area with beaches and forest trails nearby. Walking, swim- ming, running, bicycling and rowing, for example, are types of Endurance exercise. Endurance exercise is great for our heart health and stamina. Reaching a higher heart rate of about 50-80% of our maximum target heart rate is important in in- creasing our heart health. So, pick up the pace while you walk! There are three other forms of exercise, other than Endurance, that should not be overlooked; Strength, Balance and Flexibility. Strength training in- volves using all our major muscles and should be practiced two to three times a week. Increasing your muscle mass will help you increase your metabolism, therefore assisting with weight loss, weight maintenance and creating a defined muscle tone. By having a stronger body, you will improve your quality of life as it improves your ability to do everyday activities such as lifting groceries bags, playing with your grandchildren, walking up stairs, getting off the floor and into or out of your car. Plus strength training will protect your joints, muscles and ligaments from injury. The resis- tant training that we offer at Curves Aptos is safe for all ages and athletic abilities. Our coaches will ensure that you are work- ing within your means so you have an effective and safe workout each and every time that you work out at Curves. It is vital to keep our bones strong as our body breaks down continu- ously breaks down bone tissues and replenishes it with new bone tissue. In our 30's our bodies stop increasing our bone mass and the goal is to keep what you created for as long as one can. As we age, bone tissue contin- ues to decay creating an increased need for replacement. At Curves Aptos, we have had many members improve their bone density with consis- tent and regular Curves workouts. As we age and stop strength training, our core strength is compromised which is shown in our lack of balance. Core Strength is a key com- ponent of exercise and is crucial for all ages and fit- ness levels. Balance gives you energy, it helps you move confidently and will reduce the risk of injury from falling, especially as we age. According to CDC.gov, 1:3 adults ages 65+fall each year and 50% of all adults ages 80+ fall annually. Those who have fallen are 2-3 times more likely to fall again. Those statistics are huge! How can we prevent ourselves and those we love from injury; get them working on their core strength! At Curves Aptos, we work with all our mem- bers individually and as a group making sure that you get the core strength you need as we practice various balance moves. Stretching on a daily ba- sis is a great way to help improve your flexibility, even if it's just for 5-10 minutes. Being flexi- ble is important for the integrity of your joints, muscles and ligaments. With an improved range of motion, you will see an improvement in your posture and ability to move with ease. Being flexible also reduces your risk of lower back pain and relieves stress, and who wouldn't want that? At Curves Aptos, we have made it super easy for you to stretch with our 'stretching cube'. There are a total of 12 different stretches, focusing on all our major muscles that you can per- By Annette Hunt owner of Curves Aptos Snatched from Darkeness I sighed with recognition at this young man before me. Yes, all the signs were starkly clear: - Glazed eyes - Bewildered facial ex- pression - Unfocused movements - Slow to respond to verbal prompts I knew those symptoms all too well, having frequent- ly battled through them myself in my years learn- ing partner dancing. This was definitely the all-too-common malady of our Meso-COVID Era. (as I explained in last month's column: "Brain Random Access Memory Overload Of Life Issues And Problems") BRAMOOLIAP strikes again. I shook my head slowly. I must work fast to rescue this young one, to snatch him back from the brink of dark despair, across the threshold into the wonderful light of part- ner. before his ears start smoking with info over- load, before he bolts out the door, never to appear on a dance floor again. No, I would not let that happen. "You've got to teach them!" the words of my hero teacher Richard Powers echoed again in my head. Yes, I must keep passing on this historic legacy I've received from him, and so many other great social dance teachers I've learned from. So I forged ahead in our lesson to conquer this challenge now in front of me. In fact, in my years of teaching partner dance, I've discovered that BRAMOOLIAP is, per- haps half of my teaching challenge. Therefore, before I can teach effectively, I must first alleviate my students of their mental blockag- es to learning, to dispel whatever is in their mind preventing them from hearing what I'm ACTU- ALLY telling them. I recognize those blockag- es more quickly now. "Put your left foot for- ward," I told him. His right foot stepped diagonally across. "Raise your right arm left- ward," I instructed crisply, "over your partners head, before you step right." His arm raised vaguely rightward. He spun him- self around. BAMOOLIAP for sure. It is just as common with Follows as well as Leads. "Lean your weight forward towards your partner," I instruct. She hesitates, then leans back. Yep, there it is again. As well as moving too slowly, BRAMOO suffer- ers can move too fast as well. "Prep your right hand on count SIX, then turn right on count ONE," I tell her. On count five she accel- erates from zero to 60 …. whizzes a 360 pivot turn, finishing three beats early. Clearly, my perfect in- struction did not sink in. Though I try a variety of techniques to cross this common barrier, it's a tough nut to crack. So I tried amping up my message. After I explain the next part of the dance — ex- tremely clearly, I might add — to the couple, "On rock-step count SIX, the Lead preps left hand up. Point fingers to the left," then I make it even clearer, and physically demonstrate, dancing it with my assistant. By Peggy Pollard, Santa Cruz Waltz & Swing www.Peggy- Dance.weebly.com Contributed Photo Contributed Photo Contributed Photo form in a convenient, easy and effective way. If you're not getting 150 minutes of ex- ercise in a week and strength training, give us a call at Curves Aptos 831.688.2348 so we can help you live the best life that you can live. Our 30-minute full body workout is fun, fast and safe for all ages, athletic abilities. We can help you with your range of motion, intensity and any modifications if needed. Don't let exercise get in the way of you living your life to your best potential. 30-minutes a day, you are worth it! You can do it! For more information about Curves Aptos or to schedule a FREE no obligation consultation call us at 831.688.2348, we are here to service you! Get Curves Strong today! We are located at 7000 Soquel Drive in Aptos near Cabrillo College. Bigstock Photo Continued on page 4

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