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Enhance Fitness Flash
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“News EF Instructors Can Use”
FIT BITS:
Regional Spotlight:
Easton, Maryland
Save the Date:
Trainings and
Workshops
Congratulations
New Mexico!
Extra, Extra, Read
All About It: New
EF Instructor Shirts
available in August
Heard in Class…
What Participants
are Telling Us
Cues you can use:
Dorsiflexion
And more!
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J U L Y / A U G U S T
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Your Mother Was Right: Why Alignment Matters in Exercise
June’s EF Annual Workshop in Seattle, home base of the EnhanceFitness program, was a joyful exercise in community learning. The day kicked off with instructors fully engaged in a hands on lecture entitled: “Your Mother Was Right
You Know: Why We Care About Alignment in Exercise” given by Dr. Kimberly
Bennett , Ph.D., Physical Therapist and University of Washington lecturer with
the Department of Rehabilitative Medicine. Dr. Bennett’s research interests
include the role of exercise in pain management in the chronically painful patient.
Dr. Bennett worked with instructors in a hands on demonstration to help the
group recognize neutral alignment and typical malalignments of the spine in
both the sitting and standing position. She help shed light on how being off in
one area ripples throughout the frame, affecting other joints and causing pain,
stating “ the biggest prediction of chronic pain is avoidance of exercise”. Instructors worked in groups of three to perform postural assessments on one
another and pinpoint muscle weakness. This new knowledge was then challenged and stretched by performing EF protocol strength movements in abnormal alignments. The importance of emphasis on posture and solid cueing
was very clear!
Dr. Bennett spoke appreciatively of EnhanceFitness emphasis on core stability
through form and solid technique in the strength movements. She also highlighted that the thumbs up motion in the Anterior Shoulder raise is key to avoiding impingement. Similarly, she focused on the scapular retraction “goalpost”
modification being a good move for those with a fixed rounded back posture
( thoracic kyphosis). The group picked up some new posture cues: “ long neck
like a ballet dancer”, “ put an imaginary hook on at the base of the skull and lift
yourself up” as well as the following wisdom, “… if posture is an issue beyond
your scope, refer the participant to a Doctor or Physical Therapist “ to ensure
the exercises are appropriate for the abnormality.
Thank you, Dr. Bennett, for your time and expertise! And thank you EF Instructors for the vital work you do!
Regional Spotlight: Easton, Maryland
June 2010 was the beginning of Enhance Fitness at the Talbot Senior Center in Easton Maryland.
One class quickly turned into two back to back sessions due to the growing attendance. Barbara Jarrell
reminds her class every session of the benefits they will see from making a commitment to themselves to
attend class and not a class goes by, that she does not get a story or two on how it makes a difference in
their day to day activities: sharing a story of an almost fall, having more energy, getting strength back
after a stroke, helping to manage diabetes, and even starting a walking program on days there is no class.
A heartwarming note from one gentleman who only missed class when he went for cancer treatments,
ending his note with "....the Enhance Fitness program provides the foundation for a healthy life." He is
now in total remission. Barb says “ as an Enhance Fitness instructor, there is nothing better I could imagine doing. Inspiring, motivating, and having fun along the way with a very committed group is the best
way ever to start my day!!!” Great work, Barb and Easton EF Exercisers!
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“I do it out of
love. The people
get so much out
of class and I get
so much from
them!”
~ Ernestine Robinson,
WA State 2014
EnhanceFitness
Instructor of the Year,
on why she enjoys
teaching at Central
Area Senior Center in
Seattle, WA
Save the Date: Workshops/Trainings
July 1/2, 2014: Greenville, NC
July 11/12, 2014: Tucson, AZ
July 29/30, 2014: Seattle, WA
EF Master Trainer
October 20/21, 2014: Seattle,
WA
Trainings (MTT) --
EF Regional Workshops-
Affiliates recommend candidates upon
having an organizational need. Qualified
candidates need to meet certification and
instructor requirements as noted in the job
description posting at projectenhance.org
Is there a regional workshop coming up
in your area? We’d love to know about it!
Send info to paiged@seniorservices.org
August 16: New Mexico
July 27/28: Seattle, WA
Quarterly: Utah
EF New Instructor Trainings (NIT):
Other :
July 9 -12, 2014: NSCA National
Conference and Exhibition
August 13-17, 2014: IDEA
World Fitness Convention,
Anaheim, CA
November 13-15, 2014:
ICAA Conference, Orlando,
FL
March 23-24, 2015: ASA
Aging in America Conference,
Chicago, IL
ACE Workshop listing can be
found at:
http://www.acefitness.org/
continuingeducation/fitnessworkshops-conferences.aspx
Congratulations NEW MEXICO SENIOR OLYMPICS!
^ Easton, Maryland EF
participants are ALL IN for EF!
July/August EF Poll:
Summer is such a busy time!
Share your favorite healthy recipe
to fuel a summer on the go!
Respond to the poll at:
www.facebook.com/
groups/216915441752872/
And be entered in a drawing for
a Power Music gift certificate!
In May, the National Senior
Game Association bestowed
New Mexico Senior Olympics
Enhance Fitness one of its highest honors when it presented
the program with the nationally recognized Innovative Program Award.
Myles Copeland, a spokesperson for the Aging and Long
Term Services Department,
said the award is an indicator
of the progress being made
statewide towards better
physical fitness for older
residents.
Term Services Department,
stated in a May 23 press
release, “The Aging and Long
-Term Services Department
is committed to serving pro“It’s recognition of the great grams, such as Enhance Fitness, that provide seniors an
work taking place in New
Mexico in the field of healthy opportunity to remain physically active. Seniors who are
aging,” said Copeland.
physically active are often
able to live fuller, more indeGino Rinaldi, Cabinet Secrependent lives.”
tary for The Aging and Long-
New EnhanceFitness Instructor Shirts Available!
Big thanks to our partner ALL PRO for their contribution toward new breathable fabric EnhanceFitness
shirts for our EF Instructors! We have a limited supply of unisex sizes — look for details on how to order
coming in August, 2014!
Congratulations to our
May/June winner:
Mihaela Dimitriu
Seattle Housing Authority
Group (SHAG), WA
ENHANCE®FITNESS
FLASH
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Participant’s Corner
We love to hear your participant’s
feedback! Here are some recent
testimonials that have come
across our desk:
“ I love it. Just right for me to get
my endorphins going and to gently
exercise a bad foot I have. Terrific
instructor and participants who
become family with aging in common. Hurray for EF .” - EF Participant, Vashon, WA
"Two years ago I had knee surgery
for a torn meniscus. I followed the
doctor's and physical therapist's
exercise plan for recovery for approximately 14 months and experienced some improvement. Howev-
Thank you for this awesome program and our amazing
instructors...who are so inspiring and supportive." - EF
Participant, Lacey, WA
er, I was still experiencing pain and limited movement in that knee when I began
the EnhanceFitness program in September 2013. I rarely miss a session and am
amazed at the positive results I have had
8 months into the program. When I started, I could not do the chair stands without severe pain in that knee." At the instructor's suggestion, I modified the
movement..." ... I can now perform the
move without arm support and (best of
all!!!) without pain. I suspect the additional quad and hamstring exercises have also
helped strengthen me" …”Now that gardening season is here I am noticing more
EnhanceFitness benefits compared to last
summer - greater strength and stamina
when working in the yard and garden.
“We are amazing EnhanceFitness Instructors. Keep
doing what you are doing because we are making older people younger! Woo-hoo! “ - EF Instructor, Grand
Rapids, MI
Barb Taylor’s EF
Class at Salem Sr
Center in Salem,
Mass celebrates
their 1st anniversary together with
sit to stands and a
potluck! Fun!
L-R: Theresa Brandon, Michael Pauldine
Toeing the line on Dorsiflexion...
Caution! Watch out for: Bending
Weak muscles in the foot and shin area ( tibialIf it hurts,
forward. Remember:
Participant should
stay indon’t
tall do it. If the
is anterior, extensor halluces lungus and exten- Doctor says don’t do it, don’t do it. 
posture.
sor digitorum longus) can interfere with prop(Reference Section 7-57 , EF Instructor’s
er gait, leading to tripping and falls. Dorsiflexion should be a part of every EF class session
Manual— April 2012, Copyright by Senior
Services, Project Enhance)
to support participant walking skills.
How to do: Stand using the back of the chair
as a balance point. Feet are flat and parallel on
the floor. Weights are around the ankles.
Keeping heels on the floor, slowly raise toes.
Stop. Lower toes back to starting position.
Repeat 8-10 times per side. For a variation, do
with toes slightly turned out.
What they are saying on Facebook...
Instructors from all over the country are sharing
with one another in the EnhanceFitness Instructor group on Facebook; let’s listen in :
 Chairs: Where to put them
during cardio? Some instructors
have them by participant the entire
time and others allow the chairs to be
at the side but easily accessible for
strong participants during cardio
work.
 New from ALL Pro Weights:
Order DIRECTLY from AllPro and they
will give you wholesale pricing!
Weightless cuffs available for a limited
time too for EF Affiliates only. AllPro
wants to remind you that the notch in
the ankle weights allows for Achilles
flexibility! They love when folks send
them fan pictures ( but love it even
more when the weights are worn
properly) http://
www.allproweights.com/
ankleweights.html
 Check out these shared links:

http://
www.fitprobusinessacademy.com/
dr-cedric-x-bryant-interview-bsdetection-the-importance-ofscientific-literacy-understandingpart-7/

https://
researchtoreality.cancer.gov/
featured-r2r-partners/basia-belza-
https://
www.facebook.com/
groups/216915441752872/
https://
www.facebook.com/
ProjectEnhance
3
Senior Services
Project Enhance
2208 2nd Ave., Suite 100
Seattle, Washington
Email:
projectenhance@seniorservices.org
Fax: 206-448-5766
Ernestine Robinson, Washington State’s 2014 EnhanceFitness Instructor of the Year and her joyful participants at Central Area Senior Center, Seattle, WA.
Diversity & Intersectionality, Part 2: Web of Connections
Enhance Wellness Social Worker Cassidy
Stout, MSW, led June EF Washington
State Workshop Instructors in an exercise to build on our understanding that
though we may share some of the same
identities, we all experience life in
different ways. These linkages help us to
forge our own unique selves— and
while it is important to connect, it is
also important to celebrate our differences and diversity. We are all different
and yet the same too.
Instructors make connections by sharing their identities - any identity can be
anything that is part of who you are. Examples: First born, female, cyclist
Engage. Empower. ENHANCE.