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Vol.15 No.49
Pelham’s independent news source from the Heart of Niagara
The
VOICE
Hamlet Page 2
Off the Wall Page 4
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Taxes Page 5
Exercise allows woman to leave cane behind BY SARAH MURRELL VOICE Staff It may not have been as dramatic as Forrest Gump’s shedding of leg braces in the hit movie of 1994, but it certainly feels as wonderful for a Pelham woman. Six months ago Marilyn Barnhart was using a walker to get around, too unstable on her feet
after a bad break to walk unsupported. Last week she sat down to talk with The Voice about the positive impact exercise has had on her life, immediately after completing a Zumba class. Barnhart explains she broke the femur in her leg and had “wonderful surgery” to repair the break and “wonderful rehabilitation”. She was, however, very wobbly on her feet and needed a
REALLY LITTLE KICKERS
LITTLE Kickers, a recreation program for kids from age 18 months to 7, is now underway in Fonthill, and showed off their program at the Seaway Mall on the weekend, see page 8 for more. Sarah Murrell/Voice Photo
Ask The Experts:
Jim Pedlar & Tina Moessner
cane. Barnhart says she used the cane for four years, and last spring had started to use a walker because the cane was too hard on her shoulder and back. In August, when Studio Twenty opened in Fonthill, Barnhart decided to give spinning a try. When she first started, she says, she couldn’t even stand on the bike, noting when the instructor told everyone to stand up “I sat on my a**.” Within a month, Barnhart says she saw a major difference. “I left the house and came here (Studio Twenty) and everyone was asking ‘where’s your cane?’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’,” says Barnhart, noting everyone was quite excited to discover the cane was no longer necessary. “It’s wonderful to be able to be more independent,” she says, adding it’s amazing to her that the cane and walker are gone. “I didn’t even notice I didn’t need the cane anymore,” she says. “It was so subtle.” Now Barnhart, who claims to be 39 but is really 77 years old, visits the studio three times a week to take spinning as well as Zumba. “I thought I’d give it a whirl,” says Barnhart of starting the Zumba classes, noting instructor Debbie Giguere lets everyone work at their own pace. “I’m not 16 anymore,” she says, adding during the class she had just finished she sat down for one song
SPINNING classes were the start for Marilyn Barnhart’s recovery of her balance, allowing her stop using a cane and start doing more exercise. Sarah Murrell/Voice Photo to take a breather. “If you like to dance, but don’t think you can do it anymore, you can work at your own speed,” she says. Along with gaining her stability and losing the cane, Barnhart says she has also lost a few pounds. “If you’re sitting at home, not doing anything, give it a try,” she says. “It doesn’t
cost anything to try.” Barnhart says the Zumba class she participates in includes half a dozen women who are all in their 70s, albeit younger than Barnhart. “You won’t be the only one,” she says if seniors are considering joining a class. Before breaking her leg, Barnhart says she walked and often went to the
YMCA. After spending three months in the hospital it took her a while to get going, but says it has been amazing since taking that first spinning class last August. “It’s a terrific place,” she says of Studio Twenty, adding it allows people to get out and get a little exercise.