Meet our Fantastic Fitness Instructors : Linda Adams

Meet our Fantastic Fitness Instructors : Linda Adams

By: Meredith Butler

The first fitness instructor at the center I had the pleasure of meeting is Linda Adams. Linda teaches Arthritis Land Class, Balance Class and Tai Chi; she has been with the Center for many years. Throughout the interview she emphasized that her classes are for both active individuals and those who have not been active before but are looking for a way to improve their health and change their lifestyle.

The classes that Linda teaches were of interest to me because they aren’t classes typically offered at most fitness centers. Linda’s fitness classes are all catered to fit the senior population. Linda started off by telling me about her Arthritis Land Class because she believes the most prevalent health issue among seniors is Osteoarthritis. She explained that in her Arthritis class at the Center participants perform various exercises in order to be more pain free by reducing the symptoms associated with Arthritis.

Additionally Linda teaches Balance Class which she considers to be more preventative than anything else. The class helps people restore their sense of balance; she says even athletes may not have a good sense of balance and not realize it. Linda’s focus for teaching this class is to improve hand eye coordination and teach seniors to put out their hands before a potential fall. Tai Chi is the third fitness class that Linda teaches at the Center and it works on multiple components of health including coordination, balance and strength. Linda teaches the gentlest form of Tai Chi called “Sun Style” which was developed by a medical doctor in Australia. She stressed that the strength component of this class was very significant because too often as people age they lose muscle and strength ability.

After hearing about the different fitness classes Linda instructs at the center I wanted to know what other seniors could expect her class atmosphere to be like. Linda informed me that along with exercise her classes provide a fun and social environment. “When people hear exercise they have a certain opinion that it will be very difficult. But in my classes there is a lot of socialization and many times I have to tell them to stop exercising their mouths!” Besides enjoying each other’s company the people that attend Linda’s classes provide encouragement and help keep each other motivated. Many times Linda will bring in props or join in on the humor, really anything to make the participants time spent exercising more pleasant.

Once I knew more about Linda’s fitness classes I asked what she appreciated about working with the senior population. What Linda enjoys about working with seniors is seeing their progress and growth throughout time. Seeing seniors who attend her classes being able to perform exercises they couldn’t at their start point is special to her and is what makes the job rewarding. “It’s always great to see people starting to do like they never did before; I like to see the people progress and have them feel it on their own too”.

Lastly I asked Linda about the Newark Senior Center, how she felt about the Center and how it may be different from other Centers in the community. She said that the variety of not only fitness classes but of all the activities offered and people here is what sets the center apart. “There are different levels of exercise here and different personalities of instructors that lets the people here relate to what they want to do”.  Linda also wanted to point out that the NSC is the only senior center in the area with this type of preventive Balance Class which is the most popular class she teaches right now.

 

                   

Try a class by Linda! Purchase a workout ticket or fitness class pass from the reception desk & attend a class that is convenient for you. If you are unsure of which class you will like, you may try one class for free! 

Class Times:

  • Arthritis Land Class : Monday – 1:00pm
  • Balance Class : Wednesday – 1:00pm
  • Tai Chi Class : Friday – 1:00pm

Payment Options : 

  • Workout Tickets = a package of classes. They do not expire.
    • $20 Blue Ticket ($30 for non-members) = 4 classes
    • $50 Yellow Ticket ($60 for non-members) = 12 classes
  • Fitness Class Pass = Unlimited Exercises classes for the 30 days before your pass expires.
    • $45 ($55 for non-members)