In 1977, Judy Bain laced up her sneakers, dug out her childrens red plastic record-player, picked out some bouncy 45s and started teaching aerobics at the YMCA.

Nearly 40 years later, the Kalama resident still teaches exercise classes, including low-impact aerobics, Zumba Gold, Move-ing With Music and a class called Betty Bones and Balance designed to build strength, keep osteoporosis at bay and increase balance to lessen the likelihood of falls.

The 70-year-old, who is a retired medical assistant from Longview Surgical Group, is going strong much of which she attributes to the lessons she teaches others.

Judy instructs 15 classes a week at the Youth & Family Link building. Besides Link, she offers classes through Lower Columbia Colleges Continuing Education program and Longview Recreation. Her busiest days are Mondays and Wednesdays, with back-to-back lessons starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 1 in the afternoon.

Drumming and moving in place helps students strengthen their bones and improve their balance to help avoid falls.

Everybody says, When are you going to retire? but this is really not a job, she said. Its just fun. Do what you like and like what you do.

Fitness became a part of Judys life when she took up running in the late 1970s. A member of the YMCA, she was approached by Pat Hahka, the aquatics director, about teaching a class. Judy was hesitant, but she took some training through the Y.

I taught my class in this big gymnasium, and it was so quiet, she said. I got my kids red plastic record player and taught the next class playing 45s and just kept shuffling the records to songs that I liked.

These days, Judy instructs using an iPod and a headset. With classes containing upward of 50 participants, the headset helps reach the ears of each person in the Link gymnasium.

Judy started teaching Better Bones and Balance in 2003. The results have been impressive, she said.

Original post:
70-year-old Kalama resident still teaching fitness classes after 40 years