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New class offers 'enhanced fitness' to older adults

If you happened to have eavesdropped on a certain fitness class at the Ruby C. Hunt YMCA in Boiling Springs during the last several months, you might have been surprised to find a relaxed atmosphere among the 10-15 participants. You would have found some sitting, some standing - but all sharing in the laughter and support of one of the Y's newest offerings: EnhanceFitness.
"I consider it such an honor to cheer others into better health and wholeness...physically, emotionally and spiritually," says EnhanceFitness Instructor Charmane Heffron. "If you've desired a healthy lifestyle but obstacles have prevented you from achieving your goals, it's never too late! This class is a safe place where strangers become friends. We meet for an hour three times a week for 16 weeks to exercise, encourage, challenge and motivate each other to live healthy, active lives."
The Ruby C. Hunt Y offered the first EnhanceFitness classes last year, and the first participants were so impressed that many quickly signed up for the second session.
"The aim of the program is simply to help you feel better," says Ruby C. Hunt YMCA Wellness Coordinator Pam McCurry. "Participants love the results, and many have told us that they have lost weight and gained muscle while increasing their stamina, improving their balance and developing much more flexiblility."
McCurry is enthusiastic about the programs' success. She also stresses the accessibility of the program for those who might otherwise not be able to exercise.
"These low-impact workouts use wrist and ankle weights rather than dumbbells and can be done seated or standing," she says. "This is a low-cost, evidence-based group exercise program specifically designed for those with arthritis and other chronic conditions. The class focuses on dynamic cardiovascular exercise, strength training, balance and flexibility -- everything older adults need to maintain health and function as they age."
Available both to Y members and non-members, the cost for the class is $80 for members and $160 for non-members.
Those interested in learning more about the program should plan to attend a demo set for Monday, March 5, 2018 at 12:30 p.m. at the Ruby C. Hunt YMCA. The next class session at the Ruby C. Hunt Y will begin on Monday, March 12, 2018, and another session will be offered in September. Stop by the YMCA to sign up or contact McCurry at 704-669-3643 or by emailing pmccurry@clevecoymca.org.
For those in other parts of the county, the Dover YMCA in Shelby will be hosting an EnhanceFitness class session beginning May 7, 2018, and will have another class in the fall. Debbie Phifer is the Dover Y contact, and can be reached at 704-669-3637 or by emailing dphifer@clevecoymca.org. The Kings Mountain YMCA also plans to begin offering the program later this year; for more information contact Daron Dwyer at 704-616-9820 or by emailing
ddwyer@clevecoymca.org.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Community First Media


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