by Cathy Marshall, KGW Staff

kgw.com

Posted on January 9, 2014 at 4:39 PM

PORTLAND -- If you need motivation for your 2014 fitness resolution, you might find it at the East Portland Parks & Recreation pool.

Mary Hamilton, 71, is teaching water aerobics to seniors. If youre down in any way, you need a Mary Day, said student Barbara Goyette.

Hamilton didnt even learn to swim until the age of 32. My four boys could swim and they would tease me that I couldnt so I learned how to do that and ride a bike, Hamilton remembered. She had worked for Portland Public Schools as an aide and at 55, retired and became a water instructor.

It keeps my blood pressure regulated and gives me more flexibility, she said.

Her students have learned that the benefits go well beyond physical changes.

I was staying home and not ever seeing people and then I came here and it was light and bright. Its been a great way to beat depression, remarked Goyette.

This month, Mary is helping students become Water Warriors." The Portland Parks and Recreation program is in its 13th year.

More:
Sr. 'water warrior' spreads word about fitness

CHICAGO Young teens aren't exactly embracing the government's Let's Move mantra, the latest fitness data suggest.

Only 1 in 4 U.S. kids aged 12 to 15 meet the recommendations -- an hour or more of moderate to vigorous activity every day.

The results are based on about 800 kids who self-reported their activity levels and had physical exams as part of the 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey.

Government researchers won't call the results disappointing, but lead author Tala Fakhouri of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, "There's always room for improvement."

The CDC released partial results Wednesday from the fitness survey, which involved kids aged 3 to 15. Other results from the same survey are pending and include fitness data based on more objective measures including treadmill tests.

Fakhouri said the nationally representative results provide useful information for initiatives that aim to increase kids' fitness, including the Let's Move anti-obesity campaign launched by first lady Michelle Obama in 2010.

Kids in the survey reported on which physical activities they did most frequently outside of school gym class -- basketball for boys and running for girls.

While few met guidelines established in 2008 for activity that raises the heart rate and makes you breathe harder, most said they did at least an hour of exercise at that level during the previous week. Overall, about 25 percent said they got an hour of that kind of exercise every day

Obese kids were less active than normal-weight girls and boys. Overweight girls were slightly less active than normal-weight girls, but levels were similar among overweight and normal-weight boys.

"It's definitely very concerning to see that our kids are engaging in such a limited amount of physical activity each day when we are still battling" an obesity epidemic, said Dr. Stephen Pont, an Austin, Texas, pediatrician and chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' section on obesity.

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Only 1 in 4 teens meets federal fitness guidelines

Fitness trends have come and gone. In the 1970s, everyone jogged. Then came aerobics, promoted by Jane Fonda, then machine-resistance exercises like Nautilus, then programs like Pilates and Zumba and finally, recent entries such as Bootcamp, P90X and Body Combat. But nothing compares to CrossFit, which truly excels in physically and mentally transforming the average person. Benefits include fat reduction, increased muscle mass and, especially, a psyched-up enthusiasm for the workouts.

Coach Greg Glassman established the CrossFit strength and conditioning program in 2000, and it has exploded in the last few years. CrossFit usually consists of a warm up, a skill development session and a workout of the day (WOD) and also blends in a diet philosophy and a positive-attitude culture. Exercises might include Olympic weightlifting moves like deadlifts, cleans and squats; calisthenics and gymnastics such as pull-ups, rowing, or rings; or a mix of odd exercises, such as the "Turkish Get Up," which is where you move from a lying-down position to a standing position with one arm holding weight over the head at all times.

All exercises are scaled to meet the individuals fitness level, and most are performed in high-intensity intervals, a training technique that is exactly what the American College of Sports Medicines recent poll predicted would be the biggest trend in the exercise world for 2014.

People of all ages participate, and they seem to get hooked on the WODs, the peer-group motivation and the social culture. I am not a CrossFitter myself, but I write this as an experienced sports medicine doctor who provides care to CrossFit athletes of every level. My observation is that higher-level CrossFitters are every bit as conditioned as Olympic athletes.

But, what about the much-touted risk of injury? Any high-intensity training program will likely lead to some strain or injury. In a recent, small survey study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the authors found CrossFit injury incidence to be similar to that of Olympic weight-lifting, power-lifting and gymnastics, and lower than competitive contact sports such as rugby.

In another study of U.S. Army soldiers in a high-intensity training program that included CrossFit training, soldiers participating in the program showed injury rates comparable to those of non-participating soldiers. Ive provided care at CrossFit competitions and, so far, have not seen any serious injuries. Compare this with risky sports like mens football, womens basketball, gymnastics, or snowboarding, where there are bound to be concussions, sprains and fractures.

Sit-ups are unsafe, done at CrossFit or anywhere else. Also, while a quality personal trainer at a gym is the best medicine for some people, it, too, can lead to injury. When performing any sport CrossFit included you risk injury. The best advice is to seek out a CrossFit facility with coaches who meticulously monitor good form, don't push you past your limit and allow you to modify or avoid exercises that cause you problems.

CrossFit is a unique newcomer to the exercise scene. Evidence suggests that the CrossFit program is a viable fast track to improved body composition and cardiovascular fitness, with tremendous benefits. The risks surely outweigh those of a sedentary lifestyle.

Beauty or beast? Just ask a CrossFitter.

Scott Gillman is a doctor of chiropractic in Natick, Mass., in practice since 1991. He is also a chiropractic sports medicine specialist with a diplomate from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians. He can be reached at 508-650-1091 or through http://www.drgillman.com.

Continued here:
Dr. Scott Gillman: CrossFit: Beauty or beast

The Hendricks County Senior Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and offers the following activities:

Jan. 7 Fitness center open, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; one-mile walk aerobics, 9:30 a.m.; Arthritis Fit program, 10 a.m.; craft group, 10 a.m.; Wii bowling, 10 a.m.; Strong for Life program, 10:30 a.m.; lunch, noon; bridge, 1 p.m.; two-mile walk aerobics, 1 p.m.; T.O.P.S. meeting, 5:30 p.m.; senior Zumba class, $5, 6 p.m.

Jan. 8 Fitness center open, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; one-mile walk aerobics, 9:30 a.m.; Arthritis Fit program, 10 a.m.; free blood pressure checks by Danville Regional Rehab, 10 a.m.; entertainment by Gene Denton & Guests, 10 a.m.; lunch, noon; bingo provided by Danville Regional Rehab, 1 p.m.

Jan. 9 Fitness center open, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; breakfast club, $6, 9 a.m.; one-mile walk aerobics, 9:30 a.m.; Arthritis Fit program, 10 a.m.; Wii bowling, 10 a.m.; Living a healthy Life with Chronic Conditions program provided by CICOA, 1 p.m.; two-mile walk aerobics, 1 p.m.; entertainment by Hendricks County Line Band, $2, 6 p.m.; cardio mix class, $5, 7 p.m.

Jan. 10 Fitness center open, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; one-mile walk aerobics, 9:30 a.m.; Arthritis Fit program, 10 a.m.; Wii bowling, 10 a.m.; wood carving, 10 a.m.; Strong for Life program, 10:30 a.m.; Palliative Care program by Linda Doland from Hendricks Regional Health, 11:15 a.m.; lunch, noon; bingo provided by Freedom Senior Services of Indiana, 1 p.m.

Jan. 13 Fitness center open, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Loose as a Goose program, 9:30 a.m.; Arthritis Fit program, 10 a.m.; Strong for Life program, 10:30 a.m.; lunch, noon; art class, 12:30 p.m.; bingo provided by ComForcare Home Care, 1 p.m.; genealogy at the Danville Public Library, 1:30 p.m.; wood carving, 4 p.m.; line dancing, $3, 6 p.m.; womens chorus, 7 p.m.; ballroom dancing class, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 14 Fitness center open, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; one-mile walk aerobics, 9:30 a.m.; Arthritis Fit program, 10 a.m.; craft group, 10 a.m.; Wii bowling, 10 a.m.; Strong for Life program, 10:30 a.m.; Parkinsons support group, 10:30 a.m.; bridge, 1 p.m.; two-mile walk aerobics, 1 p.m.; T.O.P.S. meeting, 5:30 p.m.; senior Zumba class, $5, 5:30 p.m.; quilt group, 6:30 p.m.

The Hendricks County Senior Center is at 1201 Sycamore Lane, Danville. For more information, to register for a class, or to request a ride, call Senior Services at 745-4303.

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What's going on at the senior center?

Step aerobics is a form of aerobic power distinguished from other types of aerobic exercise by its use of an elevated platform (the step). The height can be tailored to individual needs by inserting risers under the step. Step aerobics classes are offered at many gyms and fitness centers which have a group exercise program.

Step aerobics was innovated by Gin Miller around 1989. After a knee injury, Gin consulted with an orthopedic doctor, who recommended she strengthen the muscles supporting the knee by stepping up and down on a milk crate and from this she developed the step regimen.

Step aerobics can also be involved in dancing games, such as Dance Dance Revolution or In the Groove.

Often moves are referred to as Reebok step moves in reference to one of the first makers of the plastic step commonly used in gyms.

The "basic" step involves stepping one foot first on the step then the other on top of the platform then stepping the first foot back on the floor with the second following. A "right basic" would involve stepping right foot up, then the left, then returning to the floor alternating right then left.

Many instructors of step will switch immediately between different moves, for example between a right basic and a left basic without any intervening moves, forcing people to "tap" their foot instead of shifting weight. However, one form of step is called tap-free or smooth step in which feet always alternate without the ambiguous "taps" that can make learning step difficult for beginners. This requires a bit of foresight and planning by the instructor in order to insert a transitional or switching move that maintains the natural alternating weight shift akin to walking. For example, from a series of right basics one may insert a "knee up" (which involves stepping up and lifting the knee and returning the lifted leg to the ground, thereby switching feet) and then continuing to a left basic. However, this requires planning and the extra beats required for the transitional move.

Common Moves include:

Many instructors will prepare a set of moves that will be executed together to form the choreography of the class. Usually, the choreography will be timed to 32 beats in a set, ideally switching legs so that the set can be repeated in a mirrored fashion. A set may consist of many different moves and the different moves may have different durations. For example, a basic step as described above takes 4 beats (for the 4 steps the person takes). Similarly, the "knee up" move also takes 4 beats. Another common move, the repeater knee, is an 8-beat move.

Classes vary in the level of choreography. Basic level classes will tend to have a series of relatively basic moves strung together into a sequence. More advanced classes incorporate dance elements such as turns, mambos, and stomps. These elements are put together into 2-3 routines in each class. One learns the routines during the class and then all are performed at the end of the class. Regardless, of the complexity of the choreography, most instructors offer various options for different levels of intensity/dance ability while teaching the routines.

Step aerobics helps burn calories and fat. It also helps to reduce stress, promote restful sleep, strengthen muscles and gives the body a more streamline appearance. The number of calories burned depends on the speed of movements, step height, and length of exercise. Exercise sessions can create social connections with others and step as well as low-impact aerobics is suitable for all ages, low cost, and has no restrictions on place.

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Step aerobics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia