Page 8 - The Bocaire Breeze - July August 2021

FOCUS ON Edyie Harris

As summer draws near, many of us are pondering and planning getting our lives back to
something that resembles a pre-COVID existence.

Your Bocaire Fitness Team encourages everyone to give some thought to how you’re feeling,
physically, mentally and emotionally. We’ve all been through so much in the last 16 months.
Many members have shared with us that they have gained weight, lost muscle and gotten
away from their pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. The truth is, COVID or not, another year of
aging, especially accompanied by stress and a lack of socialization can be detrimental to
anyone’s wellbeing.

While some people have been challenged in ways they could have never imagined through
the pandemic and actually found themselves busier than ever before, others have adopted a
sedentary, secluded lifestyle with minimal physical activity and a lack of personal interaction
with family and friends. Whether you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed, looking to
resume a calmer, less chaotic life or need to get out of your chair and start moving again,
there are opportunities here at Bocaire that will support your efforts. Classes like Yoga that
includes some meditation or Pilates can be very helpful to reset your mind and body. Water
exercise classes offer both mobility and socialization in a safe environment. HIIT, Water HIIT,
Tabata and Dance Fusion are designed to challenge the already active population.

However, if you are one of the many who have noticed that your legs feel weaker than they
used to, or daily activities have become harder to manage, muscle loss may be to blame. As
we get older and become less active, we naturally lose some of our strength and muscle
mass. This process is known as sarcopenia. Fortunately, the primary treatment for
sarcopenia is exercise, specifically resistance and or strength training. Strength training can
be implemented into anyone’s life at any age. Adding new movement patterns into your life
can also lift your mood and challenge your brain and ability to remember things better.
Studies show that sarcopenia can be reversed and muscle loss slowed down. A healthy diet
and reasonable exercise plan can improve quality of life. A new chair exercise class is being
introduced in the coming weeks. We encourage anyone who has become sedentary to
consider participating. Call the fitness center for more details. We want everyone moving to
the best of their ability and enjoying more out of life.

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