HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1984-04-11, Page 15SECOND
SECTION
Serving the communities and areas of
Brussels, Dublin, Hensall and. Walton
50c a copy
SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY; APRIL, 11, 1984 •PAGES B1 -B12
Aerobics means f�eIin
MARY BARNES
Photos and story
by Ron Wassink
good all
.Music with a- distinct beat pours out of a.
• cassette player and to that beat, a group of
wemen strain to stretch leg, back and
'stomach muscles. All the while one lady
;'shouts out instructions. She's the instructor.
`To the male bystander, he has the urge to
• ' 101ii in. But then again, he's content.to sit
back. and watch the women in, action.
'bt,�ssgd .;in colorful . leotards, tights and
le'g;wartuers, the ladies look great. At .the
,eti'd of the might, it's obvious they feel great
- too-' ,
Unfortunately in Seaforth,.. there are few
•'men who:takepart in aerobyc dance class
:';offered bytr
three insuctors'in the•area. Bur'
'Al they have their way, Cheryl Philips,
' Diusilla Leitch and Barb Alkemade would
;' : like' to see tnore male participation. ' •
P.h sicsl fitness in Seaferth continues to
';•iigrgw in popular'iiy, especially in the aerobics
afield.• And aerobics shows no sign of being a
pp' assing fad. It has become more than a fad
'for many!ladies.For them it's a way to tone
uplittle used muscles, even to maybe shed a
few extra pounds. • •
And the nitrites of the three classes make
reference to trimining. "For my trim -a -size
' i -Classes, I make up'my own material. It's my
own stuff;" says Drusilla Leitch. "I teach
jazz aerobics, emphasizing cardio -vascular
vim/cent and stretching. My seniors program
joy of motion, is -an aerobic workout, but
individuals" »pork- at their own speed. I
emphasize breathing, bending and balance
' because as people get older, they lose a
• Sense of balance."
Cheryl Philips teaches Bodyfit, also,
4pewn as Trim -a -size. ' "My program is
professionally choreographed. I teach every
night either in Hensall, Brussels and
• Seaforth. This enables me to be home with
my kids during the day. If I didn't teach
' aerobics, I, would be taking it."
Trim'and tone or TNT'is taught by Barb
Alkemade. "I do all the routine. 1 find the
music Y like and start, with movements that
come naturally. There's.a basic warmup, but
the ,nu sic determines the types of move-
ments.
Ail three instructors have taken courses to
teach aerobics over, the past three or four
years, They also 'average about ,titreg.,
,senn`hars atyear to•`gft'e theitl,elatkes8afelo
y seoSibita, oxcrcMe-- g
But why do people want to tale 'a jazz
aerobics class? It's simple according to Mrs.
Leitch. "After doing aerobics for a while,
individuals actually feet better. !teach them
to feel better from the inside out. That's my
feeling."
Though her classes aren't meant for losing
weight; Mrs. Leitch's exercises are a morale
booster. "It's essential to keep the fun in the
whole thing •- to let your -hili?' down • let
yourself go and become involved. Exercising
has become part of our lifestyle. It gets to
the point where people are able to do more
things because they exercise."
Mrs. Phillips agrees that most people
come to exercise class to get fit and only a
few come to lose weight. "They come for
their own reasons and exercise at their own
level. Some use my class in addition to their
diet.
"People want a better workout; they're
getting more fit, especially in Seaforth.
People are getting in shape," she says.
Mrs. Alkemade has participants in het
classes ranging from high school age to
seniors. "1 run a program for active back
care for people who have back problems.
The success rate is good, It's Iaereaible to
over
see a person get' more mobility through
exercise."
But she says, exercise and proper diet
habits go together. "The more a person
exercises, the more conscious they are about
looking after their body. If people want to
lose weight, then an aerobics program will
give them positive feedback that keeps them
wanting to change. Exercising makes people
feel more positive about themselves." .
But it's not only the over-weightwho may
be out of shape. "A person can be as skinny
as a rail and still be unfit. A lot of people are
really out of shape. But through aerobics,
they get fit. and feel good all 'over," says
Mrs. Leitch.
Mrs. Alkemade has found that most
fitness enthusiasts want to be part of a
group. "Women especially want the kind of
companionship they had when they were in
high school. At the same time, they want to
change their body image, but it has to be fun
and enjoyable.
The women get feeling more confident in
a support group. There's a whole new
element of feeling confident and this spills
over into the rest of their life," she says.
SAFE AND SENSIBLE
Safety is still the key to proper exercising.
Aerobic dancers should be aware they can
get hurt. According to medical experts, the
number one injury suffered by aerobic
dancers is shin splints. Good running shoes
and exercise mats are a must in exercise
class. •
"Injuries stop an exercise program. It
puts people off. I stress safe and sensible
exercising. If you can exercise and talk at the
same time, that's sensible," says Mrs.
Leitch.
People can suffer injuries because of
repetitive tfioves in a program. Though there
are few shin splint sufferers in Seaforth,
Mrs. Leitch feels charley -horses are of
a problem. There are many wa.
overcome injuries. The first is pr..t41
exercising. "People shouldn't jump on th it
lues, but put their heel down when j pi _
Another rule is never let your behind 'go
below your knees. We stretch and exercise
the whole leg, not the knee alone."
"Anybody with a leotard and sweat band
can teach aerobics. The wheels are in motion
to have instructors take compulsory
courses, says Mrs. Philips.
"The instructor' is the big .thing. People
should find out their qualifications and make
sure their program is safe before taking a
class. We really stress knee and back
safety," she says.
In her class, Mrs. Alkemade uses floor
mats and recommends her students wear
shoes. "I encourage everyone to workout at
their own pace. But I also encourage
individuals that if they feel weary of my
program, to try another class. But most tend
to stick with one class and one instructor."
DUST WILL SETTLE
As for the long term outlook of aerobics,
Mrs. Alkemade feels the "dust will settle.
But people will stay with it because the
younger people are more aware of fitness. 1
hope the public will become aware of what
they need in a class and that the poor
teachers become fewer;'
"The hype will fade, but aerobics won't
peter out,' says Mrs. Leitch. "I'd love to
see aerobics as a daily routine instead of
once a week. That's where it will end up.
"People will live better because of it and
they're happier. We're going to see a
springery step and smiling faces in future
fitness classes," she says.
MA.RYANNE SMITH
FRANCES KUNG
MARILYN C ESNEY