By Caron Schwartz
It’s 2020. Have you figured out how to keep that fitness resolution you/your spouse/your dog made for the new year?
Shuffleboard: Getting Fitter Having Fun!
Shuffleboard could be a gateway routine, says Christine Page, executive director of the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club. While not a high-powered, calorie-burning activity, it keeps you active and on your feet.
It’s especially good for competitive souls, Page says. “We have a lot of retirees in the shuffleboard world who once were very active athletes in soccer and cycling. We even have a former champion skier from Norway.”
Shuffleboard also works the brain. “There’s a lot of strategy involved, and you have to really concentrate on the game,” Page continues.
Page says shuffleboard is a great equalizer enjoyed by people of all ages and all levels of activity, from children to seniors in wheelchairs. “The social aspect is huge,” she says.
Tai Chi: Strength & Stamina
Jim Huston found his way back to fitness with Tai Chi. The 70-something retired attorney says Parkinson’s, cancer and bariatric surgery left him “feeling like crap.” He wanted to do something to regain strength and stamina.
With his doctors’ blessings, Huston (who asked that his real name not be used) joined the seated Tai Chi class at the Gulfport Senior Center. There he began to feel stronger, more coordinated, more balanced. After about six months the instructor, Richard Barracato, suggested he “graduate” to the traditional standing class.
The result? “I just feel better overall,” Huston says. “I have better balance, I’m calmer, I’m more flexible, and it’s helping me maintain my weight. All my doctors approve.”
Barracato says he sees results like these with all of his students. In an email he wrote the benefits of Tai Chi include:
- Achieving mind and body harmony through relaxation and focused deep breathing
- Helping maintain mental health and enhance body coordination, balance, and flexibility
- Improving the strength of bones, tendons, and muscles through gentle stretching and movement
- Increasing energy flow of and blood circulation throughout the body
- Gentle and effective for recovering from many physical injuries and illnesses
Pickleball: Trendiest Fitness Game
Industry Association (SFIA) reported in 2018 that pickleball has 3.1 million players in the US – an increase of 12% over the previous year.
A combination of tennis, ping-pong and racquetball, pickleball is played with on a badminton-size court with a Wiffle-type ball and paddle. “Healthwise, it gets people moving,” says local Pickleball Ambassador Bill Gerczak. Usually played as a doubles game, “it is also a social sport with mental health benefits. If you are playing pickleball you don’t think about your troubles because you are typically laughing and have a good time!”
It’s fun for all ages and great for balance, stamina and weight loss, Gerczak says. “I’ve seen people lose 20 to 40 pounds because you’re so active and running all over the court.”
The sport, which is governed by the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA), turns 55 in 2020. USAPA has a network of over 1,800 volunteer ambassadors, like Gerczak and his wife, Karla, who recruit and help players abide by official rules, and assist with clubs and classes. And it’s continuing to grow in popularity both in the U.S. and internationally. According to Gerczak, rumor has it pickleball may be an event at the 2028 Olympics.
You can find more information on where you can find Shuffleboard, Pickleball and Tai Chi locally in Pinellas County in the January Issue of Paradise News starting on page 55 here.