In March 2020, Barbara Jordan shared two exercise classes online and wrote:
“Do what you love!” “Your passion becomes your vocation!” “What you are called to do becomes your mission!”
I have always loved to move, starting with dancing lessons, gymnastic lessons and baton lessons when I was in elementary school. In high school, gym class was my favorite, along with playing intramural sports and being a majorette in the Marching Band. I was voted most athletic in my class. In college I majored in Physical Education and Health Education, was on the Drill Team, played intramural sports and started a gymnastics team.
In my working life, my husband Paul took a teaching and coaching job at Onteora Central School in New York. I taught P.E. and coached the marching band, majorettes and cheerleaders. Later on, we came to South Burlington High School where I coached the Gymnastics team, started a drill team and coached cheerleading.
In 1976, I started teaching P.E. classes at U.V. M. while doing graduate work. It was then that I started working with Dr. Richard Tonino on his research project concerning the effect of exercise on the so called “Senior Population.” I set up a program and trained 23 volunteers for the study. When it was over, the volunteers didn’t want to stop the exercise and that became the start of my mission; to train as many seniors as possible. I’ve taught classes at Senior Centers in Williston Woods, Holy Cross Sr. Center, Cathedral Square, the Pines High Rise, Winooski Senior Center, Wake Robin, Miller Center as well as continuing at UVM, from which I just retired I made DVD’s of the Miller class, using mats, and the Winooski Senior Center using chairs and gave them to my students to keep them exercising when the classes were finished.
Now I have the opportunity to share my mission with you. Research has shown time and time again that fitness and physical activity improves our overall health and quality of life. Now that you’re housebound, there are things you can do to improve your cardiovascular fitness, i.e. heart, lungs and blood vessels. If it’s nice out, go for a walk or hike or bike, 6 days a week for at least 30 minutes a day. If you’re at home, put on some music and dance or…clean the house!
To improve your muscle strength and endurance and your flexibility, i.e. range of motion of joints, I will give you a DVD of my 2 classes. They will help you “see” the exercises. They both contain flexibility and strengthening exercises using Somatics, Active Isolated Stretching, Egoscue Method, Flow Yoga, Pilates and Resistance tubes. T’ai Chi warm-ups are at the beginning of both DVD’s and serve to get your energy moving. T’ai Chi/Namaste is at the end of both DVD’s. It helps your balance, agility and co-ordination as well as fostering mental and spiritual wellness, honoring each other and yourself. Winooski does not use mats. They do all their strength training with ankle weights and in chairs. Miller uses mats.
The videos are available here:
Thanks very much,
Barbara Jordan
Christ Church, Presbyterian 