Sunday, April 10, 2016

DONT CALL IT A COME BACK ---AQUA ZUMBA RETURNS TO CLAYTON COUNTY GA AFTER A 4 year HIATUS

After 4 LONG years, I am proud to announce that there is once again the hip shaking, waist whining fun of Aqua Zumba, presented by yours trully!! Im having a pool party each and every Friday beginning at 11a at J. Charley Senior Center. Be sure to check back for more information on more fun aquatic classes in the Atlanta market...coming soon!!

Sunday, February 14, 2016

ALL ROADS LEAD TO FINTESS, AFTER 50

After 50, All Roads Lead to Fitness

Want energy, good looks and a youthful attitude? Get fit!

by Barbara Hannah Grufferman, July 22, 2013|Comments: 2

Woman lifting weights in gym. How to look and feel good at 50 plus. (Patrik Giardino/Corbis)

Lifting weights is a great way to get fit, and stay fit, after 50. — Corbis

For too many of us over 50, health and well-being are secondary priorities. There are plenty of reasons for that — the pressure of kids, spouses, parents and jobs (and I mean all of the above).

But if we want to live long, productive lives, it's important to do one thing immediately: Get fit.

Subscribe to the AARP Leisure Newsletter

I believe that all roads lead to fitness when it comes to coping with the anxiety and fatigue that come with the stress of an impossible to-do list. Too often, we get overwhelmed and then do nothing. The good news: Incorporating simple changes into your life is easier than you think. I know, because I did it.

Soon after I turned 50, my mother and mother-in-law needed me more and more to do things like take them to doctors' appointments or help them with bills. Each of them developed complicated health issues, which required my full attention. Even more troubling, they were both diagnosed with dementia.

Get Fit at 50+

Check out these tips and AARP videos from Barbara Hannah Grufferman:

I also had my own household to run, a job to do, and daughters who were still teenagers. One of them was heading toward college, the other entering high school. My work was exciting, but because it was a new venture, it often required me to be at my computer 24/7.

My husband, who has an equally demanding job, was starting to feel ignored. There were days I felt like I was being pulled in way too many directions. In an effort to help everyone, I wasn't helping anyone at all, especially myself.

Because sleeping enough, exercising daily and eating well had come to seem like indulgences, I became genuinely worried that I wouldn't have the strength and stamina to do the things I had to do, or the things I wanted to do. Sound familiar?

Next page: My plan — and yours. »

video extra

See All Videos »

LET'S GET PHYSICAL: Think you're too old to run? Or maybe you'll hurt your knees? Think again.

Here's how I turned things around

First, I made myself a priority. Many may be depending on you, but you have to be in good mental and physical health to be of service to any of them.
I started down my path to fitness by going for slow runs with walk breaks, and I learned how to do push-ups and other strengthening exercises to prevent bone density loss and, therefore, osteoporosis. (Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.)

More From Barbara

Barbara Hannah Grufferman

Read Barbara's posts on the AARP Blog and watch her video series The Best of Everything After 50 With Barbara Hannah Grufferman on theAARP YouTube Channel.

I scheduled annual health checkups and kept up with the latest health and wellness information specifically geared to people over 50. I changed the way I ate by cutting out processed foods and the "white stuff" (sugar, potatoes, white rice and pasta) and added lots of whole grains (quinoa and brown rice are great options), dark leafy greens and other calcium-rich foods.
I dropped the bad habits I'd slipped into, such as not sleeping enough and not moving my body every day. That helped me shed (and keep off) the 15 pounds I had gained after menopause.

In other words, I took complete control of my health, wellness and life.

Because experts say that to see something work, you need to give it three months, I made a commitment to try out my fitness plan for that amount of time. Sure enough, after three months I saw my health, fitness and life turn around. My energy returned, and to celebrate my 55th birthday, I ran in the New York City Marathon. I am ready for whatever's next.

Thanks to the push-ups and other exercises I now do, my body is stronger than ever. The combination of exercise and eating better changed how I look in my clothes and how I feel about my body. When I was overwhelmed by life, my shoulders would sag and I'm sure I looked like a defeated woman. Now, I walk straight, stand tall and present myself with a sense of confidence I truly feel.

More important, my key health-check numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density) have improved, which has certainly diminished my risks for contracting certain diseases, illnesses and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers that are directly linked with weight, poor nutrition and lack of exercise.

A plan just for you

While I chose a specific exercise program that includes running, walking and push-ups, there are many roads that lead to fitness. For you, it may be tennis, dancing, yoga, swimming, tai chi,Zumba, basketball — or all of the above!

Whatever you choose, try to do something every day, even if it's just going out for a long walk. (Quick tip: Get yourself a simple pedometer and walk 10,000 steps every day.) You'll feel better and look better, and your body, mind and spirit will be ready for whatever's next.

Barbara Hannah Grufferman writes about living and aging well for AARP Media.

Also of Interest

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Star Wars' Daisy Ridley DEADLIFTS 176 Pounds--GO GIRL

Watch Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley Deadlift 176 Pounds

Jill Pantozzi | January 4th, 2016

Star Wars: The Force Awakens actor Daisy Ridley uploaded a fantastic video to her Instagram along with an inspiring message to women about body image.

The video was posted four months ago but I saw it making the rounds on Twitter today thanks to retweets.

In case you can’t read the inscription it says:

I don’t know if #fitnessfriday is a thing(?!) but HERE’S MINE! Lifting 80 kilos/176 pounds feeling like an absolute boss. Initially I had to pack on some muscle to look like a desert scavenger, but have continued working out because it makes me feel really good. The female form is beautiful in all shapes and sizes, whether that’s athletic, straight up straight down or curvy; you just have to do what makes you feel good, try not compare yourself to other people and LOVE YOURSELF!!! As it stands I’m of the athletic variety so I’m gonna keep pumping those weights #girlswholift

As if I didn’t adore her enough…

(via Erika Sorensen on Twitter)

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

THE NEW STAR WARS MOVIE ---A CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY ON MANY LEVELS!!

A Force to Be Reckoned With

A spoiler-free take on how the newest film in the Star Wars franchise views women and people of color.

BY: ELAINE G. FLORES

Posted: Dec. 22 2015 10:29 AM

John Boyega as Finn and Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

YOUTUBE/STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

Along time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, people of color were outnumbered by green characters, and the only important woman wound up a love slave. The latest sequel in the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, released in the U.S. Friday, is light-years ahead in terms of cultural realism, and everybody—with the possible exception of some Twitter trolls—is on board. The film has already pulled in about $250 million domestically. See, people? Money talks; monochromatic casting walks.

If you were around in 1977, you know that this galactic fantasy featured self-aware droids, a heroic nonhuman and fur-covered co-pilot, and yet not one memorable character of color. James Earl Jones did give voice to the central antagonist, Darth Vader, but the bizarre oversight did garner side eye. Blacks? Latinos? Asians? Whaat? You had a much better chance of spotting a fish-eyed alien.

By 1980, the powers that be wised up and Billy Dee Williams was cast as Gen. Lando Calrissian. And in the largely unloved prequels, we got the glory that is Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu and Jimmy Smits as Sen. Bail Organa, but those powerful actors didn’t drive story.

I’ve got nothing but love for Luke Skywalker and especially Han Solo, but it’s refreshing to see the series embrace the notion in the 30 years that are supposed to have passed since the end of Return of the Jedi that the day can be saved by characters other than white guys. The torch, or lightsaber, is passed to Rey (Daisy Ridley), who is the heiress apparent to Luke, and leading manJohn Boyega as Finn, who, like my beloved Han Solo, is the cocky guy with a shady past who is reluctantly drawn into the resistance even though he’s got a bad feeling about this.

Latino actor Oscar Isaac plays brave and intriguing fighter pilot Poe Dameron. The Yoda-esque alien adviser Maz Kanata is a female character played by Lupita Nyong’o. In a small role, the flight squad includes a woman, Jess Testor, played by Jessica Henwick, an actress of Asian descent. And when the rebel heroes gather to decide strategy in a callback to Episode IV, it shows a greater representation of human and alien races than we’ve seen in any of the previous films. The casting isn’t forced or clunky here; it’s not presented as an after-school special/public service announcement. That’s what’s remarkable: The gender, race and ethnicity of each of these characters aren’t treated as remarkable.

The parallels to emancipation couldn’t be clearer. Finn says he was “taken from a family I never knew” to go to work for a state that views him as dispensable. Even his name was chosen by his overlords. Sound familiar? After claiming his new name, he informs his former oppressor, “I’m in charge.” By the way, he’s shouting that line to his former stormtrooper superior, a woman named Captain Phasma whom he’s literally looking to trash. This version gets bonus points for being able to handle more than one woman in a position in power.

In this continuation of the Star Wars universe, there are plenty of parallels between the new and old stories and new and old characters, but there are twists. Princess Leia was introduced as a damsel in distress. She did end up knowing how to kick butt, but by Return of the Jedi, she managed to get enslaved and wind up in a gold bikini, which gets her some demerits. (The princess did bounce back.) Rey, on the other hand, is able to independently escape predicaments from the get-go and correctly notes, “I think I can handle myself.” When she tells Finn to stop taking her by the hand, it’s a command, not a request. Attempts to stick her in a sex-slave outfit probably wouldn’t end well.

The trailer taglines for The Force Awakens promise that “the world has awakened” and “the wait is finally over,” and with this latest sequel bringing better-developed roles to a more diverse cast, there’s a good chance the rest of the series will live up to those words.

Elaine G. Flores is a New York writer, editor and bon vivant. She’s a hard-core shipper and excommunicated soap opera reviewer. Her fictional dinner-party guests include Omar Little, Buffy Summers, Abigail Mills and Ichabod Crane. You can visit her site, TV Recappers Delight.

Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Touching story--the 5 year old that touched Barak Obama's hair.

Story behind five-year-old touching Barack Obama's hair in the Oval Office revealed

It is one of the most striking images of the Obama presidency: the world's most powerful man bending down to allow a young boy to touch his hair.

It is one of the most striking images of the Obama presidency: the world's most powerful man bending down to allow a young black boy to touch his hair.

In a voice so quiet Mr Obama could barely hear him, Jacob said: "I want to know if my hair is just like yours," according to the New York Times Photo: Eyevine

By Raf Sanchez, Washington

5:48PM BST 25 May 2012

18 Comments

Now for the first time the child has been identified as Jacob Philadelphia, the five-year-old son of a White House staffer.

Dressed in a white shirt and tie, Jacob went to the Oval Office with his family for a photograph to mark the end of his father's posting on the National Security Council.

As the family posed for pictures, his father, Carlton, told Barack Obamathat Jacob wanted to ask the Commander-in-Chief a question.

In a voice so quiet Mr Obama could barely hear him, Jacob said: "I want to know if my hair is just like yours," according to the New York Times.

Leaning down so his head was level with the boy, Mr Obama answered: "Why don't you touch it and see for yourself?" Jacob hesitated but was encouraged after the President told him "Touch it, dude!" With eyes wide, Jacob reached up with his right hand and patted Mr Obama's short, and slowly greying, hair. "Yes, it does feel the same," he said.

The moment, captured by the White House's official photographer, has come to symbolise the importance of Mr Obama's presidency to African-Americans.

"It's important for black children to see a black man as president. You can believe that any position is possible to achieve if you see a black person in it," said Mr Philadelphia, who is now posted to Afghanistan with the US State Department.

The photograph, taken in 2009, has hung in the West Wing for three years unlike many Oval Office pictures which are reshuffled each week.

Jacob, now eight, told his father that he either wants to be president or a test pilot.

An American's guide to sporting events in Europe

European sports offer some of the most exhilarating events in the world, with incredible talent and electric atmosphere

Confessions of a Worldwide Diva