Conditioning with a Twist

Only five people showed up today for Conditioning with a Twist, but it was fun anyway!  We learned how to make exercise less boring by incorporating different props and making up our own games.  We did everything from backwards races with a ping pong ball on a spoon to jumping around cones in a silly game of follow-the-leader.  We also did some more structured activities using sponge balls, jump ropes, and exercise bands.  I learned a lot, and I hope the teens there did too.  Thanks to Pat from Ageless Exercise and the Verizon Fit for Life grant for making this possible!

Gleeked Out NIA for Teens

Today, 13 teens showed up for our Gleeked Out NIA program!  NIA is a form of dance exercise that incorporates elements from martial arts and yoga.  And we did all it to music from the TV show Glee.  It was so much fun that it didn't even really feel like exercise.  (Of course, some of my muscles don't agree with that statement right now!)  If you are interested in finding out more about NIA or locating another class in the area, visit http://www.nianow.com/.

This was our second of three Books with Beat programs for Teen Read Week.  The last event is Friday night...our Hip-Hop Essentials show with The One Sun Lion Ra and DJ Ambush.  See you at 7:00 in the adult library!

NIA Workout

Yesterday, 11 teens showed up for our NIA exercise program paid for by the Fit for Life grant. NIA blends different disciplines of dance, martial arts, and healing arts. Pat, our instructor, led us in a variety of moves during our 45-minute program, and I had to turn on the AC because we were sweating! It was a fun and energetic experience, and I would highly recommend it as a fitness activity. It was exercise, but it didn't feel like work at all!

If you'd like to learn more about NIA, visit http://www.nianow.com/.

Women's Self Defense

Today, 27 people came out to our Women's Self Defense class, which was sponsored by the Fit for Life grant. We had 16 teens and 11 adults, which was a good mix for our first-ever joint program. Mark, an instructor from Ageless Exercise, spent about one hour teaching us how to evade various attacks. We talked about everything from being aware of your surroundings to various pressure points on the neck and face. Mark showed us how to break certain kinds of attacks, including someone putting an unwanted arm around you, having your arms grabbed, or being choked. We also learned some moves that would inflict enough pain to give us time to escape from an attack. We (gently) practiced all of the moves he showed us using each other for partners. It was a great class and I think everyone learned something useful.

We worked in pairs to learn how to avoid being grabbed.

We learned how to escape from someone grabbing our wrists...

...and then knee them!

Mark taught everyone to hit with hammer fists because it is more effective and less painful than a knuckle punch.

Happy Feet

Yesterday, nine intrepid teens came out to our Teen Tap class in the barn! It was great fun, and everyone learned something. We went from doing just basic heel and shuffle steps to actually performing a little routine during the 45-minute class. Maryann, the instructor, was really great and kept us moving the whole time. Now you know why tap is so enjoyable, and also such good exercise. (That was actually the point--the program was paid for by a Fit for Life grant with the goal of exposing people to easy ways to incorporate exercise into their lives.) I brought my tap shoes and participated too, since tap is one of my favorite things! There are no pictures of me, but here are some of the rest of the group:

Ra and Jamar Redux

Last Wednesday, about 20 people came out to see The One Sun Lion Ra and DJ Brother Jamar at Sellers. This is the second time they have come, and we were happy to have them back to promote their positive spin on hip hop culture! We set up in the adult library, so we had a lot of walk-through traffic for the program in addition to the teens who officially attended. Ra and Jamar know a lot about different styles of music, and it was fun to hear Jamar talk about samples and looping. Ra spat out some amazing rhymes, including one freestyle verse about me and the library. It was an excellent start to our Express Yourself summer programming, and we hope to have them back again soon.

Ra working the crowd.

Jamar and Ra performing.

A performance shot with the audience.

Hanging out after the program.

Nutrition for Peak Performance

Today, 17 people showed up to hear a nutritionist from Mercy Fitzgerald talk about proper nutrition for athletics and fitness. We had all kinds of different sports and activities represented: dance, football, baseball, martial arts, gymnastics, lacrosse, softball, cheerleading, soccer, and more that I forgot. I liked how the presenter addressed some common myths about things like energy drinks, carbohydrate loading, and portion size. She also talked about the importance of drinking plenty of water. Did you know that by the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated? Everyone seemed to learn something new from the presentation, and we had healthy snacks at the end.

This program was part of the Fit for Life programming that Delaware County is holding in its libraries this spring. Our next Fit for Life program will be Soul Dance Teens on Wednesday, May 20, from 3:30 to 4:30. Sign up now!

Our Hip Hop Program!

Last Wednesday, we hosted The One Sun Lion Ra and DJ Brother Jamar for an after-school hip-hop program. It was amazing! Although we got off to a slow start, once people downstairs heard the music they started wandering up to the program room. We ended up with 28 teens and 3 moms! Ra talked about how to present yourself as a performer in a positive manner and did several interactive performances. Jamar brought a full DJ set-up, complete with turntables and laptop. My favorite part was when Ra challenged Jamar to lay down a beat he couldn't flow to...and Jamar eventually came up with a song from the Charlie Brown Christmas album that caused Ra some pause. Thanks to the Delaware County Library System and a Fit for Life grant from Libraries for the Future for supporting this event! I hope to have Ra and Jamar come back this summer for another program.

Ra points at someone to add a word to his song.

The One Sun Lion Ra and D.J. Brother Jamar doing a performance.

Another shot of Ra interacting with the group.