Education

C M Y K Winnipeg Free press - saturDaY, august 1, 2015 11 st. JaMes-assiniboia continUing edUcation learn For boDy, minD, creativity By Holli Moncrieff for the Free Press Get ready for the latest fitness craze, which appears to be… hula hooping? Wanda Taylor, assistant director for St. James- Assiniboia School Division's Continuing Education, swears it's true. t heir Hula Hooping with Kathy class is so popular that they've added an advanced level for the fall. "Hula hooping is a unique form of exercise. When we were little, we didn't realize we were doing a lot for our bodies when we hula hooped," Taylor says. "It's simple and it's fun. People are drawn to it." Advanced Hula Hooping will expand on what students learned in the basic class, and include some isolation moves and shoulder hooping. So far, hula hooping has proven to be a female-dominated sport. "The ladies have a ball. We'd love to have the men come out," says Taylor. St. James-Assiniboia Continuing Ed is also offering tai chi for the first time this fall. "Tai chi is a relaxing, fluid-motion exercise that's ideal for stress relief or just to relax," Taylor adds. She's found that soothing, relaxing forms of exercise tend to be very popular. Two of these in-demand classes will return this fall. "Zumba Gold is very popular. We have a lot of the same people coming back to take it every year. Zumba can be very jarring, but this class is toned down," she says. "It's designed for beginners, older adults and individuals with limited physical ability." Zumba is a fitness program involving dance and aerobic elements. Those who are feeling a little stressed out, or plagued by aches and pains, could benefit from the 10-week Restorative Yoga program. "We had to add more classes due to the overwhelming response. It's a very easy type of yoga. You're not contorting your body into different poses. It's very smooth and it allows for a deeper release," says Taylor. "A lot of people with knee and back problems are drawn to it. Many of our students say they've seen a difference in their bodies." If you're looking to really break a sweat, Taylor recommends their Dynabody Total Fitness classes, which are designed to improve strength, stamina, co-ordination and energy levels. "We've had Doug's Bootcamp here for a number of years, and it's always very popular," she adds. "It's a more strenuous type of exercise." Once you've burned all those calories, you don't want to undo that hard work by eating the wrong things. The school division's new Juicing and Blending class can teach you how to restore those valuable vitamins and nutrients. "Juicing and blending is a healthy choice to get the most nutrients out of fruits and vegetables," Taylor says. "You'll learn what to juice and blend, what goes together, and what tastes good." If health food isn't your thing, the Holiday Baking and Holiday Appetizers classes might be more to your taste. "You learn to whip up easy holiday treats for your guests that can be made ahead of time and frozen," says Taylor. Several new arts and crafts classes are also available for those who like to express their creative side. These classes include Knitting Mittens and Scarves and Punto Antico. "Punto antico is an Italian form of needlework. Students will make purses using these intricate stitches," Taylor says. "Knitting Mittens and Scarves will happen in the late fall. It's just in time for winter so you can get ready." If you love jewelry, consider making your own. Inspired by the popularity of expensive leather wrap bracelets, the division is offering the Leather-Crafting: Bracelets course. "Students will learn to work with leather to make a multi-strand bracelet that they can attach charms to," says Taylor. "There's all kinds of stuff you can do with these bracelets." Another new course promises to teach students the art of calligraphy. "Learn the art of this beautiful writing," Taylor says. "Students will create their own masterpieces and learn about the different pens, layouts and textures." Pointillism Art is a one-evening class featuring an intricate form of dot-to-dot painting done with ink "This class is for beginners. According to the instructor, it's very easy," says Taylor. "Students will create their own pictures in one evening." Also new for beginning artists is One-Stroke Painting. "This is a very simple technique that can be used to paint anything you want. You will learn to blend, shade and highlight with one stroke of the brush," Taylor says. For more information, please see their website at www.localcourses.com/sjsd. You can register online or by calling 204-832-9637. You can also fax registrations to 204-888-0945 or email wtaylor@sjsd.net for more information. ■ St. James-Assiniboia School Division's Continuing Education offers a variety of classes, ranging from Hula Hooping, Kniiting Mittens and Scarves, to the 10-week Restorative Yoga program. "Hula hooping is a unique form of exercise. When we were little, we didn't realize we were doing a lot for our bodies when we hula hooped. It's simple and it's fun. People are drawn to it."

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