Rundown of fitness tips

At Colonial Fitness in Spring Township and Sinking Spring, Joanne Ewing, fitness director, compiled several pages of fitness tips for seniors based on personal research.

Her research addresses everything from the physical and mental health benefits of exercise to tips on staying motivated and creating a safe exercise plan and healthy diet.

In building a balanced exercise plan, Ewing stressed the four building blocks of fitness: balance, cardio activity, flexibility and strength or power training.

Of the four, strength training may have been most overlooked by seniors.

Simply put, strength training builds up muscle with repetitive motion using weight or external resistance from body weight, machines, free weights or elastic bands.

Power training is often strength training done at a faster speed to increase power and reaction times.

Why it’s good for you: Strength training helps prevent loss of bone mass, builds muscle and improves balance — both important in staying active and avoiding falls.

Power training can improve your speed while crossing the street, for example, or prevent falls by enabling you to react quickly if you start to trip or lose your balance.

Building strength and power will help you stay independent and make dayto-day activities easier, such as opening a jar, getting in and out of cars and lifting objects.

Source: Joanne Ewing, fitness director at Colonial Fitness. Email jewing@chbsports.com)

Contact Bruce R. Posten: specialsections@readingeagle.com.

Workshop on strength training

In the future, Alliance Fitness Center, 1 Meridian Blvd., Spring Township, plans to hold a workshop entitled “Weights Aren’t Scary” to emphasize the importance of strength training to increase — or prevent the decline in — muscle mass and bone density as people age.

The workshop was originally scheduled for sometime in April or May, but is on hold until preventative public health distancing requirements are lifted as a result of the coronavirus threat.

For more information, contact Sarah Small, Alliance Fitness Center owner, at chafit32@gmail.com, call 610-698-2828 or 610-3762322, or check www.alliancefitnesscenter.com