Resident testimonial

 

             Jan, our instructor who is much younger than her aerobics class students, caters to the oldsters by playing music of our generation to exercise to.  I hear “Pennsylvania 6-5000” and I’m back in New York in the days when every telephone number had a letter prefix.  In my mind I stay in New York, where I once lived with three of my college chums, when “Missed the Saturday Dance; hear they crowded the floor” comes on.  There were precious few men to dance with in Manhattan in 1944-45 except the rare college acquaintance who came through town on his way overseas.  “Awfully lonesome without you; don’t get around much anymore.”

             We move vigorously to military marches and “Seventy-six Trombones”.  I’m back in San Diego where students from our local high school were recruited to play their trombones in the Starlight Opera production of “the Music Man”.  I recall that Meredith Willson composed the music for that perennial favorite when staying in San Diego one summer in the 50’s to help direct the pageant of Fiesta del Pacifica.  It reminds me of John growing a very black beard and wearing sequined cummerbunds and ties during the fiesta.

             We continue marching, “right, left, hup hup.  Now two to the right, two to the left, V-step, T-step.  Gotta get that heart rate up.”

             The tune from “The Bridge Over the River Kwai” takes me again to San Diego and one of the funniest skits I have ever seen, put on by a quartet of men in our church couples group.  The version of the song used then in contrast to the one in aerobics class has talented people whistling.  Can you imagine the performers expanding and contracting their belly buttons to simulate whistling?  I laugh just thinking about it.  I wonder if the men in aerobics have that much control over their abs.

             Get the weights out.  Overhead presses, row to the right, row to the left.

             I’m with the same church group when

“Hello Dolly” comes on.  I was once asked to write different lyrics to that tune to fit in another skit.  The words I created come back to me more readily than the ones Satchmo sings.

             Flat on our backs on the mats.  Forty legs of all shapes and sizes go up.  Point the toes, draw a circle on the ceiling.  Press the belly button to the spine.  Relax the eyebrows.

             After my visit to San Diego I go all the way back to South Bend, Indiana during depression years when many people were wistfully singing “Happy Days are Here Again”, hoping it might be true.  Actually aside from financial worries they were happy days, and these are all happy memories that come while we are huffing and puffing in our efforts to keep fit.

 

-Joan Teague-

Wellness warm ups

 

             The Wellness Department has made arrangements to order Paradise Valley Estates warm up suits for our residents.  These are the same suits our fitness staff wear.  The price of the warm up is $65.00.  Each warm up has the Paradise Valley Estates logo embroidered on the jacket.  The pant has a draw string waist and zippers at the ankles.  Sizes are Small through Extra Large.  There will be a sign up sheet in the green book if you wish to order a warm up suit.  The cost will be billed to your account.  The warm ups wear very well and are extremely comfortable.  If you have questions call Jan Olson at 432-1105.

 

-Your Fitness coordinator-