Senior Center Exercise Instructor Returns

By Jan Howard

Pat Babbage has returned as the exercise instructor at the Newtown Senior Center on Riverside Road. She held her first class on November 15.

Ms Babbage, who taught classes at the center a few years ago, has been teaching for eight years.

The class, which is free, meets twice a week on Monday and Wednesday, beginning at 10:30 am.

The exercise class, she said, “is a work in progress.” While it has included chair and low impact aerobic exercise, she hopes to extend the program.

“I’m trying to fulfill the needs of the majority,” she said.

She encourages attendees to do the exercises at their own pace. “If they need to stop, they should do so,” she noted.

Exercise is a very important component to a healthy lifestyle, she said. “Everybody needs exercise. No one has ever changed the need for exercise. But it should be fun.

“It’s important for all ages,” she said. “You can start at any age, and maintain it as long as you can.”

The Senior Center class begins with an aerobic warm up, followed by exercises with resistance bands. She may include some weight lifting.

“I would like to do Pilates,” Ms Babbage said. “It’s something that’s new, and people are curious about it. It provides a total body workout.”

Ms Babbage is an Aerobics and Fitness Association of America certified personal trainer, and holds a bachelor of science degree in behavioral science, with a specialization in gerontology. She is a member of IDEA Health and Fitness Organization.

A resident of Newtown for almost 15 years, she has two children in Newtown High School.

She is currently teaching at Dance, Etc and Karen’s Fitness Studio in Newtown and in Southbury and Redding. She teaches a variety of fitness classes to all ages and specializes in weight training, aerobics, and mat Pilates.