• News

Audrey Muehsam Attends Daily Aquacise Fitness Class at Glenpointe

TEANECK, N.J., Nov. 5, 2010 – Teaneck resident Audrey Muehsam has enjoyed her gym membership at the Spa at Glenpointe since 1992. Recently, since she moved to Heritage Pointe of Teaneck, the full-service rental retirement community located next to the Glenpointe complex, Muehsam participates in aquatic workouts five times a week.

While she and her husband were raising their three children in Teaneck, Muehsam was active with the children’s scouting and school activities. “After I retired from the Teaneck Board of Education, I finally had the time and energy for morning activities and to work on my physical fitness, so I joined The Spa,” she explained. Her exercise regimen included workouts in the gym followed by aquacise but “now I am more focused on aquacise, as workouts in the water are very effective without being stressful on the body.”

A low-impact physical exercise practiced in shallow water, aquacise is increasingly popular with older adults because it provides a complete exercise program while supporting the body gently. It can be an excellent alternative for people with joint pain or stiffness, since cardiovascular land exercises such as jogging or jumping may be jarring or painful. In aquacise classes, each joint and body area is moved, flexed and stretched in the near-weightlessness of the pool, and muscles are toned with the help of weights. The water resistance helps to deliver the benefits of aerobic exercise without pounding the joints and bones.

“We stretch all muscle groups front and back, tread water and do kicks to bring up our heart rate. We bend and stretch our legs and arms while the water supports us,” said Muehsam. “We even do Zumba® in the water which is quite a workout.” Participants also do scissor kicks, jumping jacks, and cross punches in the 45-minute sessions. Kickboards, hand paddles, foam weights and noodles are used to build muscle strength and increase heart rate.

For residents who prefer dry land, Heritage Pointe offers daily weekday fitness classes including yoga, exercises that stretch and tone, and the aerobic Zumba®, all led by professional instructors. The community also has a fitness room equipped with treadmills, free weights and a stationery bicycle. A group of residents who enjoy outdoor exercise frequently walk the woodland trails of the 46-acre Teaneck Creek Conservancy which borders the community.

In addition to the physical benefits provided by aquacise, Muehsam has also made new friends at the pool. She referred two of her aquacise classmates to Heritage Pointe this summer, and they now live there as well.

Because she lived in town and was a Spa at Glenpointe member, Muehsam was long familiar with Heritage Pointe. When it was time to sell her house and move to a retirement community, she knew just where to look. “The location is ideal because my friends and one of my daughters are nearby, and my swim classes are even closer,” she said.