Come try Music Therapy at our FREE Lunch & Learn Series @1130am Friday 3/28

March 24, 2014 by Leave a comment

lunchWe are about to pass 700 likes on our page this week, and want to take this moment to thank all of you for following us and staying active!

This week we host the Red Hat Society luncheon on Tuesday at 1100am and Walk With a Doc as usual on Wednesday at 1100am. Still looking for a community leader in health and wellness to lead us this week. We will walk either way, but would love to learn about a new doc!

NEW offering this month is Laura Roberts, Certified Music Therapist at our free LUNCH & LEARN Friday at 1130am in the gym. Bring a brown bag lunch; beverages and snack bars will be served. Here’s how Laura describes her specialty: Music Therapy promotes socialization, communication, movement, and relaxation. We will be singing, playing instruments, dancing, reminiscing, and relaxing! NO musical talent is required!!!!

AMTA_LOGO_NT_finalLaura Roberts, MT-BC-A board certified and GA state licensed music therapist. Laura works locally with seniors at Budd Terrace at Emory Healthcare and is working on her Master’s of Art in Music Therapy at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana.

We are excited about the idea of an ongoing music therapy class here at the Decatur Recreation Center and this is a pilot so please come and tell us what you think. Here’s why we value it: “NMT” (Neurologic Music Therapy) designation applies to practitioners focused on a large body of music therapy research and NMT techniques.  NMT’s have some very specific approaches for working on improving things like language, movement and cognition in clients with stroke, alzheimer, parkinsons and other neurologically based disorders. 

Come to the free Lunch & Learn and check it out! Bring a friend. Lunch & Learn meets monthly on the 4th Friday and immediately follows a popular senior aerobics class. If you are interested in presenting a subject on aging well, please sign up here.

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Expo January 11 – Come Sample all the NEW Classes

January 10, 2014 by Leave a comment

decatur-active-living-expo-flyerWondering what’s NEW at the recreation center? Or didn’t realize there was anything new, well it’s true and we’ve got plenty of news to share. Here’s a sneak preview of the year ahead and save the date for the Expo on January 11 from 10am to noon. A new building, new classes, new year, and a new you! Save the date now for a fun-filled, active, expo and the chance to sample all the new fun activities and classes and meet and chat with the instructors. Meanwhile there is still no membership fee, just come and pay for the class you want to take. It’s that simple.

Come meet the instructors and sample ALL our NEW classes proposed this winter. From 10am to noon we will feature short 10-minute demos of new classes where you can try them out and talk to the instructors. We’ll have free drawings (see BINGO card) and booths to feature our new enrichment and artistic offerings as well. Stop by while the youth are playing basketball, before lunch, after Run With the Dogs 5k, or during your Saturday shopping.

Stay tuned for the 2014 playbook to plan your strategy for staying fit, featuring new and regular classes.

  • Ageless Grace
  • Ballet Fit
  • Craft series – Jewelry making and Needle work
  • Eat Well Indie*catur
  • Gymnastics
  • Hula Hoops for fitness
  • Internet for Seniors (learn basics and maybe fun tips like how to make emoticons)
  • Lunch & Learn series
  • Musikgarten
  • Nia Dance
  • Playout Family Fitness
  • Turn on your Sparkling Health
  • Walk With a Doc
  • Watercolor & Tea
  • Yoga (mat & chair)

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Be Thankful for Warm Indoor Games and Activities over the Holidays

November 25, 2013 by Leave a comment

PlayOut Cards

PlayOut Cards

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! With harsh weather headed our way for the holidays, we’ll all need to stay warm and cozy with our families and find ways to stay active indoors. To start we’ll hold our Walk With a Doc indoors this week on our upstairs track surrounded by windows and overlooking the gym classes. Join us Wednesday at 11am. Some of you may not have seen the track yet or even know that it is finished, so come check it out! On Thursday morning, if you aren’t volunteering at the Atlanta Half Marathon, then put on a hot pot of stew to greet those that are when they return home from the early morning event. Then turn on the Macy’s Day parade and see if you can all dance to the bands and performers, remember they walk/dance/perform the entire parade route.moving-back-middle

Also your family can check out our copy of the hot new family fitness game Playout. Created by a local lacrosse coach in our community, it’s an exercise card game where fitness is made fun. Put your strength, skills, and endurance to the test in 3 simple and unique games. Shown are 3 sample cards from the core, upper and lower body areas: dive bombers, side sliders, and windshield wipers. These range from a 1*, 2**, 3*** so there is something for everyone.

Create your own contests: play adults vs. children, boys vs. girls, locals vs. visitors or any way you want. You take turns drawing 30 exercise cards, 12 wildcards and see how you do. You can choose easy, medium, or hard levels of play, so yes, grandchildren and grandparents can both play together. Stop by and check out the cards. Use them over break and return the following week. Also find Playout on facebook. We will be closed Thursday and Friday this week.

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Walking With Dead Poets and Doctors…

November 15, 2013 by Leave a comment

WWAD111313…Well sort of, Walk With a Doc (WWAD) went out and about on a walk in Decatur on Wed in 40+ degree sunny temps and had a blast. It was our regular weekly walk at 11am but the cool temps kept a few folks away. Nine hearty souls ventured out bundled up in hats, gloves, and layers and walked all over the Decatur Cemetery. Cathy Vogel, (pictured center) lead docent of the Friends of the Decatur Cemetery led us on the walk featuring Veterans and resting places of famous docs of Decatur. And we took along a thermos of hot tea just in case, which we enjoyed at Veterans rock.

We learned about Dr. T.H. Chivers’ current resting place, i.e., no longer under his front stoop, and that he was more poet than doctor, stormy friends with Edgar Allan Poe, and studied at Transylvania University. In his will he left his first wife $1.00, his daughter $1.00 and that’s all he had to say about them. We also visited Dr. Chester and Eugenia Stack Morse who donated their 7-acre estate to the city to become Woodlands Garden. Dr. Carl Renfroe educator and namesake of our middle school was on our route as were other educators, Dr. Margaret Pepperdene of Agnes Scott College who could speak old english fluently they say, and Dr. Ormond Morgan who has rested in the cemetery the longest.

Come join us next week as neurologist Sara Shuler from Dekalb Medical joins us. Who knows what we will learn! WWAD occurs every Wed @11am, Decatur Rec Center, Free.

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Wondering how to keep walking yearround even in cold weather?

November 12, 2013 by 1 Comment

ImageTake a look at the 10 tips offered here in the Walk with a Doc Newsletter. Good morning! The weather will be getting a little brisk soon and we want to tackle this now. There are too many April and Mays filled with patients saying they are getting ready to walk, but it’s been “too cold”. Not this year sister. Not on our watch.

If you are unprepared, sure – it stinks. But, we’re all better than that. Let’s throw on a hat, some gloves, your favorite fleece, and let’s go! It sure beats walking in 97 degrees – doesn’t it? These people in the picture are very small, but trust me they’re smiling and they’re happy. Why? Because they’re outside. Here are some great tips for our fellow northerners. See you out there this winter and note our special walk on 11/13 is at the Decatur Cemetery, hosted by the Friends of the Cemetery who’ve put together an intriguing tour of docs!

Walking tips
Ready to get moving outside? Here’s some advice that will help you stay safe and warm when you’re walking in winter.

Ease into it
Start slowly to give your muscles a chance to warm up.

Walk at a moderate or slow pace
Winter roads and paths can be icy. The bigger your strides, the higher your risk of falling.

Bring water
Don’t assume you only need water in summertime. Dry winter air is dehydrating, and you dosweat away water in winter — you just don’t always realize it.

Stay safe
In low-visibility and bad road conditions, you don’t want to walk where there’s traffic. Instead, head to parks, bike paths, high school tracks, or residential streets that draw very few cars. Always wear reflective gear. If it gets really cold, try walking at the mall.

Aim to wear three layers
“It’s better to have and not need,” says Nottingham. You can always peel the layers off.

Avoid cotton
“Try clothes made out of material that will keep moisture away from your skin, so you won’t get cold. Nike’s Dri-Fit clothes are a good bet,” advises Nottingham.

Don’t layer your socks
There’s a good chance you’ll get blisters that way. Instead, wear thin socks designed to keep feet warm (try Thorlo or SmartWool).

Wear gloves

Grab ski gloves if it’s snowing. A hat and a neck gaiter (a muff for your neck) will help keep you warm. If your ears, hands or head get too cold, go inside.

Protect your eyes
Wear sunglasses or, if it’s snowing, goggles with a light-colored lens, to protect your eyes from snow glare.

Try studded outdoor walking shoes
These give you extra traction on slippery surfaces. “Lightweight hiking boots are a good option, too,” says Culwell, “but stay away from heavy boots that are geared for climbing.”

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Walk With a Doc Today at 11 am

October 30, 2013 by Leave a comment

1353725_10102513828684010_434634025_oJoin us today at 11am for Walk With a Doc. We walk every Wednesday beginning at the Decatur Recreation Center. Let’s all get outside and enjoy this great Fall weather!

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Cooking, Walking, Biking, & Garden Herbal Tea Party on the calendar

October 14, 2013 by Leave a comment

The October air is invigorating isn’t it? Everyone in Decatur feels it too and they are out and about being active, which we love and applaud. If you need ideas to focus your outings, here are a few active options (and ALL are free) going on at the Rec Center in the next 7 days. Cooking class, Walk With a Doc, Bike Commuters breakfast, Garden tea party.
Simply Delicious

Simply Delicious

Simply Delicious: Healthy Food to Celebrate the Season. Wednesday morning join the fun and funky Wylde Center Chefs and learn scrumptious recipes, tips, and tricks to enjoy fall foods in this special free Living Greenclass at the Decatur Library. Wednesday October 16, 10:30-11:30am, Free.

Walk With A Doc

Walk With A Doc

Walk With a Doc features Dr. Khurram Khan this week, an Assistant Professor Of Medicine, Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics from the Emory University School Of Medicine and the Wesley Woods Outpatient Center. See you every Wednesday for a walk at 11am including this week October 16 @11am, Free.

BTWBike to Work Commuter Breakfast is held in May and October, two delightful months to commute to work by bike. The challenge is issued by the Clean Air Campaign, Georgia Commute Options and local organizations interested in clean air, active transportation, and alternate travel modes., We’ll be out front on Sycamore Street at a table full of coffee, juice, and baked goodies from Java Monkey to encourage, reward, and support all those who choose to bike to work that day and stop by. Local partners in the Decatur bike community will be on hand to answer questions about gear, clothing, bikes, routes, bike buddies, tall tales and such. Here’s the facebook event for more info and if you will, RSVP so we’ll have just the right amount of refreshments. See you October 17 @7am-9am on your way to work, Free.
botanist
Scott Garden Herbal Tea Party is one week from today and YOU are invited! First our gardeners will meet on Saturday October 19 for a work day and get the garden all spiffed up. Then on Monday, we’ll entertain the public with herbal teas made from the garden bounty and host Amy Stewart, author of the Drunken Botanist, for a quick meet & greet prior to her book talk next door at the library which is presented by Georgia Center for the Book. Be sure to grab a free copy of our list of botanical cocktails available in downtown Decatur to guide you on your exploration. Here’s the facebook event for more info and please ‘like’ their page to follow them. Tea Party is at October 21 @6pm and book talk is at 715pm; both are Free. 

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What’s Chi Walking? Come find out Wed @11am

October 8, 2013 by Leave a comment

Walk With A Doc

Walk With A Doc

This week for Walk With a Doc, join Sandy Bramlett as she leads us on a 3-mile neighborhood walk and discussed classes she teaches like NIA Dance, Ageless Grace, and Chi Walking! Bring water and a sun visor if you like and meet us out front at 11am. Our weekly walks are free and enjoyed by a dozen or so residents with room for many more.

Each week we have a different guest lead our walk, chat with us about their specialty, and lead us in cool down stretches post walk. We also have public safety volunteers guiding us and keeping us focused and safe at crosswalks, intersections, and occasionally through construction or obstacles.

You can earn a shirt, pedometer, or an umbrella by walking with us; either of which you might find adds an incentive to walking. And walking with a group offers great new conversations and the exercise just flies by. Many are joining us to take a mid-morning break from editing articles, caring for family, or just newly retired baby boomers who are looking to stay active. Either way, we’d love for you to join us.

Reminder that all our walks follow the city walking tours and friends of cemetery tours, take a look at the brochures page 2 and page 6 for the routes.

 

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Is exercise the best medicine?

October 4, 2013 by Leave a comment

 

walkingThe government’s physical activity guidelines recommend getting at least 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging. If you’d like the support of a group for this, come join us weekly on Wed @11am for Walk With a Doc. We all walk together for 1, 2, or 3 miles, we vote on the route, and the guest Doc joins us to chat and answer any questions you might have. It’s full of sightseeing, camaraderie, learning new things, and yes exercise…which is the objective. Walking really does work, so see you out there! Meet in the Rec Center lobby; bring a water bottle and maybe a sun visor for warm sunny days. You can also earn a pedometer, t-shirt, or umbrella for walking with us.

Physical activity may be as effective as medications for preventing early death in some people who’ve had heart attacks or strokes, a new study suggests. USA Today reports on it here…

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/02/exercise-medicine-heart-disease-diabetes/2907853/

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Arts, Crafts, Music, and Walking this Week

September 23, 2013 by Leave a comment

teabagsNew on our class list at the Recreation Center are arts & crafts classes for ADULTS! Gillian and Sylvia are both wonderful and busy instructors who have agreed to teach. In October we have a Watercolor and Tea in the Afternoon course along with a Craft series of 3 arts that prepare you for the holiday gift season. Gillian is a talented metalsmith featured at the High Museum and will teach Jewelry making, Paper sculpting, and Book making. Sylvia directs an entire studio gallery of artists and will offer the watercolor along with the chance to sip tea, learn about new flavors, all set to music. Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful studio experience?

Come and see for yourself and free your inner artist in an adult-only setting during the day.

Walk With A DocMusic wise, we hope to find an instructor to offer music therapy so if you have any leads send them our way; and in the meantime we will pop into the square downtown this week at noon on Wednesday for the last Blue Sky Concert series of September. Note, our regular weekly Walk With a Doc will depart at 11am and end at the square at ~12pm for the concert. Leading us this week is Melissa Bloom, PT, DPT, NCS whose specialty is vertigo/balance/dizziness issues and who comes to us from PhysioCorp as a Neurologic Physical Therapist.

The playbook of ALL our classes and programs is online, take a look and find what interests you! http://www.decaturga.com/index.aspx?page=182

Walk With A Doc

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