Editor's note (Summer 2007): Since this article first appeared in Bay Area Summit's Spring 2004 issue, Susanne McQuade has retired. Geoffrey Suguitan has directed CalFIT's 50+ Fitness programs since April 2006.

East Bay Exercise Classes for the 50-Plus Crowd
IIf you're 50 or older and searching the East Bay for classes in yoga, tai chi, qigong or even ballroom dancing, you might want to look into U.C. Berkeley's 50+ Fitness program.

Run by the university's Department of Recreational Sports, the five-year-old program offers classes in a wide range of exercise activities, from aerobics, pilates and strength training to tennis, swimming and sea kayaking. The program also offers instruction and lectures on first aid, nutrition, aging and other topics.

The classes and lectures are open to people of all ages, but are geared for people aged 50 and above.

Students limber up with Tai Chi at 50+ Fitness

"Exercises in our classes are done at a slightly slower pace and with lower intensity than they might be with a younger group," says Susanne McQuade, the program's director. "And they are taught by instructors who are trained and experienced in working with older people."

The program, which is partly funded by a grant from Cal's Resource Center on Aging, "fills a real need in our community," says McQuade. "The first year we opened, we had 90 people sign up, and we've continued to grow from there."

Although many of those enrolled in the program's classes are retired U.C. Berkeley faculty and staff, it now draws participants from around Berkeley and other East Bay cities. Most people come through word-of-mouth referrals, as the program does almost no advertising.

Classes are offered in both the Spring and Fall semesters. The cost of one 7-week group class is $45 for members and $60 for non-members. You can also join the Cal Rec Club (there's a monthly fee of $55, plus a one-time initiation fee of $65), which gives you access to Cal's Recreational Sports Facilities and swimming pools, and allows you to take regular drop-in classes (with mixed ages) at these facilities.

Many classes are offered in the morning, to accommodate working people, and most are held at the Strawberry Canyon Recreational Center near Memorial Stadium, where parking is plentiful and free.

For information, visit http://calbears.berkeley.edu/ insidepage.aspx? uid=79a818b3-e99b-40aa-9730-e122d83b60cf or call Geoffrey Suguitan at (510) 643-8032.

(This article originally appeared in the Summer 2004 issue of Bay Area Summit)

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