[ HAPPENINGS ]
It’s time to
‘Shape Up’
AARP Hawaii, the Aloha State Games and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin will sponsor the Shape Up Across Hawaii Young at Heart Celebration at McCoy Pavilion from 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday. The event offers an opportunity for kama'aina to try new types of fitness activities and receive information and services that will keep them healthy and active longer. The following is a Q&A about the event with Jackie McCarter, associate state director of AARP Hawaii and coordinator of the celebration.
Question: Why is this event so important?
Answer: The people who come to this event are going to be exposed to a wide array of physical activities, geared toward beginners who are midlife or older. I have always felt that there is an unspoken rule of conduct in our society that says if you haven't learned something by the time you're 30 years old, it is too late to take it up. That kind of thinking needs to stop. ... The fact is that people are living longer, and it is ridiculous to think that only the first third should be interesting and challenging.
This event is about providing midlife and older adults with a chance to try new types of physical activity at a beginner level while surrounded by their peers. If a person comes to this event, tries something new and finds it fun -- well, that could motivate them to continue. We all know that active lifestyles help prevent many diseases and contribute to a higher quality of life as we age.
Q: What types of activities will be available?
A: We are offering five or more physical activity classes an hour in things like tai chi, tennis, salsa, strength training and chi kung. There are also going to be seminars in nutrition and laughter for health and stress reduction. We will even have Dr. Anita Johnson, author of "Eating in the Light of the Moon," talking about why we eat when we aren't really hungry. In between classes, participants can talk with experts like nutritionists, podiatrists and running stores and get their advice. They will even have an opportunity to listen to live local musicians and find out their body composition and metabolism.
Q: It sounds like a big event. ... What made you decide to put it together?
A: It started off as a celebration for people who had completed our Shape Up Across Hawaii physical activity challenges. Since May we have been challenging our members and the public to commit to three days a week of 30 minutes of activity for four to eight consecutive weeks. We really wanted to acknowledge their achievement in forming a physical activity habit. One thing we know is important to maintaining an exercise habit is that it needs to be enjoyable, so we decided that the best way to help them motivate them to be successful long term was to provide an array of opportunities for them to try.
Q: Is this event open to the public or only to people how have completed the Shape Up Across Hawaii challenges?
A: It is open to the public. As the event kept growing, we acknowledged that it would be a shame to limit it to only those who had participated in the Shape Up Across Hawaii challenges, especially if there are folks out there who are trying to get more active and need a little boost. This could be the very event to motivate them.
Q: This is a five-hour event. Are people expected to stay for the whole thing?
A: No, in fact, we are hoping that people will feel free to drop in for an hour or two. We specifically kept it open until 6 p.m. so that working people would feel free to come after work.
Q: The Shape Up Across Hawaii campaign kicked off in May. Is this the last activity in the 2004 campaign?
A: Sort of. ... It is the last activity that we will bring everyone together for, but we are actually starting to recruit 1,000 people to walk in the Great Aloha Run as part of our 2005 team -- so people will continue to hear from us through the remainder of the year.
Q: How do people let you know if they are coming to the Young at Heart Celebration or want to be part of the Shape Up Across Hawaii Great Aloha Run team?
A: For the celebration, they just need to call our volunteer information center at 843-1906. We will accept drop-ins, but it will help us in our planning to know who is intending on coming. For the Great Aloha Run walking team, there is a spot on the application that asks for a "100 club code" -- ours is 11. If they write that in the space, we will contact them.
www.shapeuphawaii.org
www.aarp.org/hi
Schedule of events
The Shape Up Across Hawaii Young at Heart Celebration will be held Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at McCoy Pavilion. The event is sponsored by AARP Hawaii, the Aloha State Games and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:
