How it all began

After retirement from 32 years of public school teaching, at the age of 57, I started exercising for my own well being and found that I wanted to impart my knowledge to others. It took a year to earn my qualifications: several courses and a pretty tough exam from the British Columbia Parks and Recreation Association. Plus, I’m expected to update my qualifications every two years, including CPR and First Aid. I have also had special training in teaching Older Adults and Adapted Fit. Today, at 71, I continue to teach four classes a week.

The Classes I currently Teach

Light Fit is a fitness class created by myself to encourage people of any age (though the emphasis is on the older adult) to get active: 10-15 minutes of warm-up, then 30 minutes of a mixture of cardio and strength-training and balance exercises, ending with 10-15 minutes of flexibility and breathing exercises. If you have been away from exercise, had a recent injury, or you are just starting to exercise, you should find this class a good one to start with; however, many of my participants like the class so much that they remain as regular participants. It meets from 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the West End Community Centre, 870 Denman Street, in Vancouver, BC.

Adapted Fit is a fitness class for seniors (usually 55 and older) who may have a disability or other condition(s) which means that their exercises must be slightly modified. The class participants sit in a chair (and a few choose to sit on a coredisc or a utility ball). We occasionally stand up for some activities. It meets three days a week — Monday, Wednesday, and Friday — also at the West End Community Centre and also at 11:00 a.m. I teach the Monday and Friday classes.

As a fitness instructor, I enjoy providing my participants with articles on various topics. Check out the articles below and see what interests you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Exercise and Health

Exercise and Its Benefits for Various Health Conditions

• Exercise and Allergies
• Exercise and Arthritis
• Exercise and Asthma
• Exercise and Balance
• Exercise and Cancer
• Exercise and Chronic Pain
• Exercise and Circulation
• Exercise and COPD
• Exercise and Dementia
• Exercise and Diabetes
• Exercise and Heart Disease
• Exercise and Hypertension
• Exercise and Lifestyle and Older Adults: Recent Research
• Exercise and Mood
• Exercise and Osteoporosis
• Exercise and Our Brain
• Exercise and Pain vs. Burn: Will it ever stop hurting?
• Exercise and Parkinson's
• Exercise and Sleep
• Exercise and Stroke
• Exercise and Viruses: Exercise Immunology

General Health and Social Issues for the Older Adult

• Aging and Activity
• "A new study says....": What you should know about those studies!
• The Aging Process: What to Expect
• The Bitter Gene: Something I Inherited
• Computers: Why Older Adults Should Not Ignore Them
• Emergencies: Are you Prepared?
• Genetics and Our Health: How much can we control
• The Importance of Social Connections
• I was no Charles Atlas... - by Guest Writer, Bob Ingraham
• Insomnia: Habitual Sleeplessness
• Medications of all Stripes: Use them with Knowledge
• Metabolism, Calorie Intake, and False Promises: Getting Through the Dieting Maze
• Pain: The Ultimate Decider
• A Personal Challenge: Increasing Bone Density at 71
• Predictors of Aging: Biological, Psychological, Sociological
• Protecting Yourself at Home: Getting Help when Needed
• Protecting Yourself when Walking Outside: Some General Safety Rules
• Seniors Like to Walk
• Seeing Your Doctor: When Should you go?
• Singing Enhances Life Quality for those with Dementia
• The Body Temperature Regulators: Staying Warm or Keeping Cool
• Taking Care of Yourself FIRST

Fitness Class Issues

• After a Fall
• Air Quality and Exercise
• Can There Be Fitness Class after an Injury?
• Can regular exercise prevent falls?
• Dictionary of Common Fitness Terms
• Do not be Late, Do not leave Early
• Falling: Is there a way to fall to minimize injury?
• Fitness Class Benefits
• Fitness Class: Too easy? Too hard? How do you know?
• Fitness Equipment for Fitness Class
• Fitness Instruction for the Older Adult: BCRPA Guidelines
• Fitness Instructors: What They Know and What They Don't Know
• Fitness Principles
• Fitness vs. Yoga
• Five Distracting Behaviours in Group Fitness classes
• Heat Injuries: Learn to Recognize the Signs
• Intensity and Duration of Exercise: Is One more Important than the Other?
• Individual Differences
• Motivation: How do we stay involved in physical activities?
• Music and Exercise Class: Inspirational or Soothing
• Music and Fitness Class: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
• Over-Training: How do you know when you're doing too much?
• Pain During and after Exercise: Should it hurt when I exercise? What if I hurt after exercise?
• Perceived Exertion Scale: How to Tell when you are "in the zone"
• Planes of Movement
• Q&A about Fitness Class: Questions and Answers About the Parts of a Group Fitness Class
• Reasons why Some Older Adults Don't stay in Exercise: And reasons why they should
• Scents and Fitness: They Don't Mix
• Skipping Fitness Activities: What Happens when you Don't Exercise?
• The Stability Ball: Why You Should Try It
• Sweating: It's a Good Thing!
• Warm-Up: Why we Do It
• What, exactly, does "core strength" mean?
• Why I Exercise: Confessions of a Fitness Instructor
• Why Lift Weights? - RECENTLY REVISED!

Systems of the Body

The Cardiovascular System

• The Cardiovascular System: The Transportation of Blood through the Body
• Making Energy: How our Bodies Work

The Digestive System

• Canada's Food Guide: Nutrition and the Older Adult
• Exercise Helpful During Holiday Feasting
• Our Digestive System: How it Works

The Endocrine System

• The Endocrine System: How it Works
• The Exocrine System: How it Works

The Fascial System

• The Fascial System: What is it?

The Immune System

• Our Immune System: How it Works

The Muscular System

• The Abdominals
• The Adductors
• The Deltoids
• The Erector Spinae: Spine Muscles
• The Forearm, Elbow, and Wrist
• The Glutes
• The Hamstrings: Back of the Thigh
• The Hip Flexors
• Latissimus Dorsi: The Lats
• The Lower Leg: The Calf and the Shin
• Muscle Cramps and Other Injuries
• Muscles of the Head
• The Muscular System: How it Works
• Opposing Muscles
• Pectoralis Major and Minor: The Pecs
• The Quadriceps: The Front of the Thigh
• Taking Care of your Feet
• The Trapezius and the Rhomboids
• The Upper Arm: The Biceps and the Triceps

The Nervous System

• The Nervous System: How it Works

The Respiratory System

• Good Breathing
• The Respiratory System: How it Works

The Skeletal System

• Back Problems
• Bones of the Hands and Feet
• Dem Bones Dem Bones: The Skeleton
• The Hip Joint
• Hip Replacement
• Joints and Exercise
• The Knee Joint
• Knee Replacement: The Basics
• The Ribs
• The Shoulder Joint
• The Spine
• Three Arm Bones: the humerus, the radius, and the ulna
• Three Leg Bones: The femur, the tibia, and the fibula
• The Wrist and the Ankle

Book Reviews

• Book Review: Body by Science
• Book Review: Man's Search for Meaning
• Book Review: Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?

I am a BCRPA-certified fitness instructor in Vancouver, BC. I teach four classes at the West End Community Centre in Vancouver, BC, mostly designed for the older adult. The Inevitable Disclaimer: Everything published here expresses only my opinion, based on my training and research. What you do with the information is entirely your own responsibility. I am not liable for any injury you suffer that seems to be related to anything you read here. Always consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program.