Participants use a series of balls to release muscular tension, improve flexibility and work select muscle groups. Learn how to help your body become more supple, increase blood flow, and dislodge tightness held in your muscles and connective tissues. We will use fun activities to warm up the body internally such as the hula hoop and standing yoga poses. We'll apply techniques using specific balls to roll your body out like dough as you stretch and elongate muscles. Specific routines and sequences will be followed in an order logical to the body musculature. Using the body and gravity, this is a method of self massage that gives relaxation and suppleness to muscles that have been tight for some time and once you learn the benefits of body rolling, expect everyday pains to dissipate or even go away entirely.

Nordic walking is the accepted term for fitness walking with a specific type of poles. Compared to regular walking, Nordic Walking involves applying force to the poles with each stride. Nordic walkers use more of their entire body (with greater intensity) and receive additonal strenth training stimulation for the chest, lats, triceps, biceps, shoulder, abdominals, spinal and other core muscles. This extra muscle involvement provides the benefits of increased overall strength and endurance in the core muscles and the entire upper body, a greater cardiovascular workout, greater ease in climbing hills, additional calorie burning, improved balance and stability, and significantly less stress to the hip, knee and ankle joints. Class will meet rain or shine. Nordic Poles are required for class. Contact instructor if you need poles.

We will explore various walking styles including intervals, speed, hill training and extended walks along tracks and mapped routes. Learn how posture, breathing, hip, leg and foot action will allow you to get the maximum benefit and fun from walking. Yoga poses will be integrated into the sessions ensuring a strength and flexibility component to the class. Cardiovascular endurance will be measured at the beginning and end of the program and logs and training plans provided as optional materials.

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Susan Allison is the instructor for these classes. She has a BS in Exercise Physiology and a certification from the American College of Sports Medicine as a Health and Fitness Instructor. She has an MBA and a Total Quality Mgt Certificate. Susan is a certified organic food processor and owner of Thoreau Foods. In addition, she is a consultant in food labels to other food companies as well as to restaurants and cookbook authors (www.nutritionfoodlabels.com). Susan has taught classes for Adult Ed programs in Littleton, Acton, Minuteman Tech, Lincoln, Sudbury and Assabet Valley. For more information, Susan can be reached at 978-266-8973 or at susan.allison@verizon.net.