"I turned 65 in January and I jumped for joy when my Medicare Card arrived in my mailbox!
I got so hyped up to join SilverSneakers to get my old body back into shape. I walked into the classroom and felt like I was the youngest person in the class. To my surprise, I could NOT keep up with the 80 year olds! I was huffing and puffing and sweating my brains out. But I made a commitment to myself to go three days a week...
Oh my, my first day in a SilverSneakers class at another gym, this elderly gentleman fell off the big ball he was sitting on for balance and (he had) weights in his hands...his head banged on the floor and I freaked out. Why would they give an 80 year old a large ball to sit on and placed on slippery hardwood floors? The next instruction was to slide your tush down on the ball and that's when this poor guy crashed. He was fine but it was scary for me to watch.
Decided to try a different gym and luck was with me to find a fabulous instructor.
Everyone in my class remembered my name and greeted me with such kindness. The instructor's name is September. She's a hoot...She sings and jokes around with everyone and calls out their names. I really like her. She gets you motivated. And my favorite Sinatra songs are blaring from her boom box! When September starts counting she will start backwards and yells out 8,7,6,5,4,3 then a member in our class takes over and says: twoooooooooooooooo and 1. September's personality and great sense of humor makes the hour go by quickly and worth it.
Don't let the words 'SilverSneakers' fool you. These people are devoted to their exercise and take it very seriously which in turn provides them with a better quality of life...I highly recommend SilverSneakers for you Seniors out there. Go put that younger crowd to shame!"
Did you have any idea that seniors are out there blogging about our classes? Now you know.
This blogger was lucky enough to be in an area where she had some choices on which class she would attend. Many only have one choice, especially in rural areas.
What would your class participants write about your class? Are you keeping them safe by following the safety guidelines? I know that instructors are always looking for something new to add to class, especially if they have been teaching the same group for awhile. That's great! We can share new ideas. I've seen so many ways of safely and effectively using the balls (6 -9 inch children's play ball-not the big ball!!), tubes (with handles!)and weights by awesome instructors, that I'm pretty sure we'll never run out of creative ideas!!
Do you sometimes feel like teaching your class has just become routine? Remember that every time you go in front of your class, you are changing lives! Are you like September? Is your class fun? Are your members welcoming of new participants and do they know each others names? Do you refuse to be average?
"Make every day your masterpiece!" UCLA Coach John Wooden
Rut Blocker
Today I had a small class because many of the roads in our area were flooded, so I decided to have some fun. During the "ball" segment of class, I had them choose a partner and we played Step Back Catch. Each pair only needs one ball. They stand close together facing each other. One of them tosses the ball to the other. The person who catches the ball takes one step backward* and then tosses the ball back. This continues until one of them misses. When they miss, they move close together again and start over.
*This is a really fun game and can be played safely only if you have enough room, which is why I chose a day when we had a small class. Make sure that when they step back, they will not walk into a chair! Also, be sure you are there to help them pick partners so that no one will be left out. Please let me know if you have any questions about this game.
The postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent SilverSneakers' positions, strategies, or opinions.
