A woman in her fifties slowly raises herself into a headstand position. A 78-year-old woman gracefully performs the 24 movements of t'ai chi in a slow, deliberate dance. A middle-aged couple tangos across the hardwood floor to the sounds of Latin music. These people have one thing in common-they are all committed to fitness for life.
An active lifestyle offers health benefits for people of all ages. Not only does it reduce the risk of heart disease, it helps decrease problems which develop with aging.
"As people get older, they lose flexibility and strength. Regular exercise helps maintain and even increase these things," says Sarah LeVere, exercise physiologist at Mercy Wellness Center. LeVere points out studies have shown exercise also helps combat the loss of bone density in women, which leads to osteoporosis.
According to Vogue magazine, a study led by exercise physiologist David Nieman indicated exercising regularly can help - even stop - the natural aging of the immune system. This helps in lifetime protection from colds and the flu and even helps ward off diseases such as cancer.
Regular exercise can also contribute to mental health by helping relieve stress. Leonard H. Calabrese, head of clinical immunology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, told Vogue, "There's good evidence that psychological stress interferes with the body's ability to fight infection."
Exercise doesn't have to be limited to team sports or weightlifting at the gym. Yoga, t'ai chi and ballroom dancing are three forms of exercise that are commonly overlooked. People often don't think of them as exercise, but people involved in these activities are a living testimony to their mental and physical benefits. Some begin in their youth, while others start in their 40s and 50s - in some cases, even their 70s and 80s. Most participants have no intention of quitting these exercises until they're physically unable to participate.
Yoga
Ed Duarte, 49, ran for a number of years before realizing that it was causing him a lot of physical pain. Instead of dropping exercise altogether, he turned to yoga.
Duarte practiced some yoga when he was younger, but gave it up and turned to running. Within weeks of his return to yoga, the pain he experienced was gone.
Yoga improves health, stamina and balance. It tones the muscles and weight drops away naturally, but it's not something that can be forced. People tend to stabilize at their body's optimum weight through yoga.
"Yoga is not a religion. It's a practice and a way of life," says Cathy Wright, director of Heartland Yoga. Wright, who has practiced yoga for 17 years, got involved as a student at the University of Iowa. A regular swimmer, Wright says she considered herself very fit until she met someone who was practicing yoga and was surprised to note he was more flexible and fit than she was. "Since then, I've done some yoga every day - studying it more seriously in the past eight years," Wright says.
Yoga, which means union of body, mind and spirit, originated in India 6,000 years ago. There are eight concepts which make up the yoga discipline and different yoga styles focus on different aspects of these principles. The styles have evolved from teachers who learned from different masters in India. Some focus on the more physical aspect of yoga, others on the mental aspect. Wright says few practice all eight concepts in their entirety.
Heartland Yoga's program is based on the teaching style of B.K.S. Iyengar, which puts a lot of emphasis on alignment. "When you move according to alignment, you're going to move safely," she says. Safety in movement is a concern of Wright's since several of her students have come in with slipped discs or neck whiplash. Wright says the instructors do not push students faster than their limitations, decreasing the chance of injury.
Heartland Yoga's program is based on the teaching style of B.K.S. Iyengar, which puts a lot of emphasis on alignment. "When you move according to alignment, you're going to move safely," she says. Safety in movement is a concern of Wright's since several of her students have come in with slipped discs or neck whiplash. Wright says the instructors do not push students faster than their limitations, decreasing the chance of injury.
Yoga is valuable for decreasing physical pain from wear and tear on muscles and bones and is increasingly used to combat stress and its effects. "Most people have a kind of intensive day job so this is a real stress reduction for them," says Wright, whose students include several doctors. One emphasis in yoga is centering the mind on the body, which allows the students to stop thinking of deadlines and schedules and just relax. "Usually, our bodies are here and our minds are 4,000 miles ahead. That's why we focus on the body - it can only be in one time zone. The mind can be in the past or the future," Wright says.
Gloria Sutherland, 48, an office manager, has practiced yoga for six months. Her job caused an increase in stress, which accumulated in areas of her body such as her shoulders. Yoga has helped relieve that stress. "I have a better sense of balance and feel better about myself - it just feels good," Sutherland says.
Rita Hartmann, a 12year veteran, got involved in yoga simply out of curiosity. "I saw a class led by a woman who was a year younger than my mother. She looked so marvelous. Her spine was so
gracefully and what appeared if yoga could do that for her,
says. Hartmann says the
to hold some of the poses is
center the body
on the mind
erect and she did things so
to be effortlessly. I thought
I wanted it for myself," she
amount of strength needed
surprising. "It not onlybuilds strength and increases flexibility, it also is a stress relief. It works the whole body along with the mind," she says. In beginning classes at Heartland Yoga, students do postures that work a lot with the legs, focusing on strong ankles, firm thighs, strong knee joints and flexible hips. Next, they get into some gentle twists to help massage internal organs and begin working with some abdominal strengthening poses that firm the belly.
In teaching the various poses, a huge emphasis is placed on breathing - simply concentrating on inhalation and exhalation. "Breath is something we take for granted. We often move while we're holding our breath. Yoga teaches you that you can breathe throughout these motions, which makes them easier," Wright says.
Wright says everyone can do yoga, but success depends on what their goals are. "If you want to lose weight quickly, don't choose yoga. If you want something you can do for the rest of your life that will help you concentrate and center yourself, yoga is it," Wright says. Her students range in age from the late 20s to 60s. She occasionally has some teenage students, as well.
Wright's advice to those interested in beginning yoga for the first time is to wear shorts and plan on working in their bare feet. "This isn't like aerobics or other exercises where you can try to outdo the person next to you," Wright says. "In doing yoga, you're concentrating on yourself - not those around you. If you can get in touch with breathing and being present in the moment and doing what you can do, leaving behind the mental chatter, you can get a good experience.
T'ai Chi
Cheryl Lindholm, 49, a registered nurse, has been practicing t'ai chi, the Chinese martial art of slow motion and meditative movement, for nine years. "I wasn't interested in it at all before I went to a class," she says. Lindholm says discovering t'ai chi was a revelation for her. "It was an exercise where I could use my whole body - body, mind and spirit all together," she says. "Before that, I was something of a couch potato, never interested in any exercise except swimming."
Lindholm says her mother, who is now 78, began practicing t'ai chi about a year ago. Her mother was experiencing problems with back and leg aches and the t'ai chi has made an improvement in those areas. "Wherever you are in life, you can benefit from it," Lindholm says. "You don't have to be a super athlete, it just takes a little patience to learn it."
T'ai chi, which originated around 3,000 years ago in China, also offers the use of body, mind and spirit in a form of exercise. "It creates an awareness of being able to use the body as a fully-integrated unit," Lindholm says.
Many of the movements in t'ai chi involve a sequence of circular movements in a rhythmic pattern. This creates slow, graceful movements which resemble a dance. For example, in the first few movements of the Brush Knee Twist Step, the right hand moves down then circles back and up with the palm facing upward. The left hand circles up and rests in front of the right side of the chest while the body is turning right with the eyes looking at the right hand. Each movement is calculated and executed smoothly and deliberately.
The form of t'ai chi Lindholm practices at Farrell's U.S. Martial Arts and Fitness, originated in China in the 1950s. This form was derived from several older forms
"Wherever you are in life, you can benefit from it."-Cheryl Lindholm
of t'ai chi, some of which contained up to 150 movements. These older forms could takea lifetime to learn. In 1950, masters of the art created a 24-movement form designed to allow students to get the maximum benefit in less time, making it accessible to more people. Lindholm says Western exercise tends to be more fragmented, focusing on separate parts of the body. T'ai chi combines physical movement and breath control with focusing the mind. The art is centered around the body's chi. Lindholm explains, "Chi is the vital energy of the body, but there are a lot of different kinds of chi. It's a kind of bioelectric energy." The form of t'ai chi Lindholm practices at Farrell's U.S. Martial Arts and Fitness, originated in China in the 1950s. This form was derived from several older forms of t'ai chi, some of which contained up to 150 movements. These older forms could take a lifetime to learn. In 1950, masters of the art created a 24-movement form designed to allow students to get the maximum benefit in less time, making it accessible to more people.
Lindholm says Western exercise tends to be more fragmented, focusing on separate parts of the body. T'ai chi combines physical movement and breath control with focusing the mind. The art is centered around the body's chi. Lindholm explains, "Chi is the vital energy of the body, but there are a lot of different kinds of chi. It's a kind of bioelectric energy."
Lindholm is quick to point out, however, that metaphysical beliefs are not necessary to practice t'ai chi. "I don't care if you believe in chi or not," she says. "T'ai chi is something you really have to experience to understand, but you don't have to believe in any complicated Eastern philosophy." She adds that some people are scared away because they see t'ai chi as a complex exercise they could never learn to do. "T'ai chi is something you learn by doing. If you do it, you will get the benefits," she says.
T'ai chi offers physical benefits such as a flexible body and better balance. "It really targets the legs," Lindholm says. "That's why some elderly people, who live alone, have started practicing it- leg strength and balance are important." Age is definitely not a factor in who is able to practice t'ai chi. Lindholm says the classes have included participants as young as 15 and as old as 78.
For those concerned about the level of fitness promoted by the practice of t'ai chi, Lindholm herself is a perfect example of what t'ai chi can do in someone's life. While she loved swimming earlier in her life, Lindholm says that at the time she began practicing t'ai chi, she was leading a very inactive lifestyle. But in April of this year, she will be testing for a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and she also holds a brown belt in judo
"I wouldn't be keeping up with the 20-year-olds if I didn't do t'ai chi,"she says. "It's the cornerstone of my fitness program."
T'ai chi offers physical benefits such as a flexible body and better balance. "It really targets the legs," Lindholm says. "That's why some elderly people, who live alone, have started practicing it- leg strength and balance are important." Age is definitely not a factor in who is able to practice t'ai chi. Lindholm says the classes have included participants as young as 15 and as old as 78.
For those concerned about the level of fitness promoted by the practice of t'ai chi, Lindholm herself is a perfect example of what t'ai chi can do in someone's life. While she loved swimming earlier in her life, Lindholm says that at the time she began practicing t'ai chi, she was leading a very inactive lifestyle. But in April of this year, she will be testing for a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and she also holds a brown belt in judo.
Ballroom Dance
Another form of exercise is ballroom dancing. However, most people would never think of it as a great way to stay fit.
Patty Rubino, 69, and her husband Michael, 71, have been ballroom dancing for around 20 years. Patty says they have been dancing their whole lives, but her husband's hygienist got them started at a studio in 1986. "It keeps us both healthy," Patty says. "We plan to stick with it as long as we're able to maneuver." The Des Moines Ballroom Dance Studio, where they have both been dancing for the past six years, has had students as young as 15 and as old as 81.
Deanna Merical, 51, says her job was pretty routine and she needed some recreation as well as exercise. "All the exercises I knew of were boring, so I just didn't do them," she says. "Ballroom dancing is rewarding." Merical learned about the Des Moines Ballroom Dance Studio through a friend. She went there and really enjoyed what she found. "It really is a physical sport. It helps with muscle control and gives you a great workout," she says.
The studio offers seven traditional ballroom dances: fox-trot, waltz, tango, rumba, cha-cha, swing and bolero. They have open group enrollment as well as private lessons available. The group meets for lessons several times a week and a practice party is held every Friday night.
Bob Fuller, 50, originally came to the studio with a friend who knew how to ballroom dance. "I was expecting to hate it," he says. "I'd spent my life trying to avoid dancing. But, I liked it and I found that I have a talent for it." Fuller says when he bought a tuxedo with tails, he knew he was hooked.
Fuller also runs regularly, but he says some of the dances he has done, such as the Viennese Waltz are even more cardiovascular than running. "I can run miles without breathing as heavily as I do after a few minutes of those dances," he says. "It's a very different experience from running." Fuller also points out different types of dance offer different levels of exercise. People who aren't accustomed to high levels of exercise can stick to the less strenuous dances such as the foxtrot and rumba.
Ronda Armstrong, 45, and her husband Bill, 49, both started dancing about four years ago. "I never really had something I enjoyed for exercise," she says. "And this is a good form of exercise for both physical and mental health. It's hard to concentrate on other things when you're dancing."
Armstrong says this has been good exercise for her husband, as well, because he has diabetes. "It keeps him going," she says. "And it's fun and challenging because we're always learning new things. It's a great activity for a couple-but it's not necessary for both to be there all the time. You can do it by yourself, too."
Armstrong says she hasn't found any other physical exercises that she enjoys as much as dancing. "I came in for fun and got hooked," she says. "I wanted to learn a little more about dancing, but I never expected to get this highly involved." Armstrong says that the advice they've gotten from older couples involved in ballroom dancing is simply, "Don't stop dancing!"
