MANSFIELD — Area seniors can now access free self-defense and wellness training for the summer.
Black Belt Pro Fitness is offering a version of its NOW Resolution program specially tailored for seniors, in partnership with the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging. The class is funded by the Richland County Senior Services Levy.
Richland County residents age 60 and older are eligible to take the class for free. Spots are limited but still available as of the time of publication.
Black Belt President Chris Hershberger said the program is designed to help participants maintain their physical and mental health, as well as build confidence in potentially challenging situations.
In addition to teaching self-defense techniques specifically for seniors, Hershberger will lead workshops and seminars on nutrition, mindfulness and stress management.
“This program is predicated on the idea that transformation happens now. It’s mindfulness and being present-minded,” he said. “You couple that mindset with effective, scientifically-backed lifestyle enhancements or behaviors.”
Hershberger said the course is tailored to each individual. Beginners are welcome.
Fitness portions of the class will include time for strength and resistance training. Hershberger said a holistic approach to fitness should include both strength training and cardiovascular activity like walking or biking.
Nevertheless, strength and resistant training have long been stigmatized in the exercise world. Hershberger said women in particular have been hesitant to engage in strength training out of a fear that they will look too burly, but those fears are unfounded.
“It’s very difficult to look like a bodybuilder that way unless you’re taking supplementation and doing very specific things,” he said.
The senior NOW Resolution program also includes balance training, which can help reduce fall risk.
“I’ve got a client that I work with that’s 90 years old and all we focus on is balance,” Hershberger said.
“I try to tell (clients in their mid 60s) that I’m working with people in their late 80s and 90s, and they wish they would have been working on this stuff in their 60s and 70s.”
While NOW resolution training is available year-round to adults of all ages, seniors who wish to take advantage of the free class must sign up by May 31.
The program runs May 15 to August 15 with classes on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m to noon. Students will get a few weeks off throughout the summer due to previously-scheduled children’s camps at the dojo.
For more information, email chris@blackbeltprofitness.com or call 567-241-8298.
