Dances like the jitterbug, swing, square dancing and the twist may be generations behind the American Culture. But for residents at the Bridle Brook Assisted Living facility, the “olden days” when they flooded the dance floor on Friday nights is just a Zumba Gold class away.
Mahomet resident, Kristina Robinson, a certified Zumba instructor, who also teaches Zumba classes through the Mahomet Parks and Recreation Department and in the Mahomet Area Youth Club B.L.A.S.T. program, visits Bridle Brook once a week on Wednesdays to help residents find a way to exercise for 30-minutes while also giving them a way to travel back in time in their heads through music they would have enjoyed when they were younger.
“There are a couple people I have to reintroduce myself to each week,” Robinson said. “They don’t think we’ve ever met. But when I put the songs on, they are the ones who sing all the words.”
Robinson approached Bridle Brook Activity Director Heather Hoover about implementing Zumba Gold into the resident’s programming last June.
“I was like, ‘Zumba? For old people? Are you crazy?,” Hoover said.
But Robinson explained that for this age group, residents would be sitting in a chair. They could choose to follow her lead with arm and leg movements or they could just sit there and enjoy the music. After a demonstration, Hoover decided to bring Robinson in once or twice a month. As the program has grown from six residents to a full-house of nearly 25-30 people, Robinson now works with residents every Wednesday.
“(One man) who will sit next to me every time always asks if he’ll see me again tomorrow,” Robinson said. “He asks, ‘How can we get you here everyday?’”
Because Zumba Gold hits so many of the physical, speech and occupational goals Bridle Brook therapists have for their clients, all units within the building are using the things the residents do during Zumba as examples of what they can do throughout the week.
“We’ve managed to build a partnership with the therapy services in the building,” Hoover said. “They use this program for their client load to accomplish their goals. Some residents are working on following a simple, one-step direction for speech. Physical therapists use this program for residents range of motion. And occupational therapist will often remind residents that they raise their arms for Zumba, and they need to do the same thing to put their shirt on.”
Hoover also said when residents can do any sort of movement for 20-30 minutes it strengthens their muscles, gets their lungs working and their hearts pumping.
“The exercise is so important to prevent atrophy of muscles, too,” Hoover said.
Just like Hoover had reservations about Zumba Gold to begin, many residents were skeptical. Men who have spent their lives in a reserved state or women bundled up in wheelchairs may not seem like the best candidates for a dance class.
“There was one woman who adamantly told me, ‘I don’t want to do that,’” Hoover said. “Now, she is the one who goes around and tells people to come every Wednesday. She tells her friends, ‘Kristina does a good job, and you’ll have a good time.’”
There was another woman who came to Zumba Gold, telling Robinson that the only reason she was there was because her Kindle battery died. Robinson said at the beginning of the class she just sat in her seat, then towards the middle of the class, she started scooting towards the edge of her seat. By the time the last song came on, the woman got up out of her seat and danced.
After class, the woman told Robinson she was sorry she stole the show. Robinson said, “I’m so glad you did that today. It was the best thing that could have happened to me.”
A man, who used to square dance, comes to Zumba Gold weekly, trying to dance as he rounds the corner in the hallway. He is often the highlight of the class, as he will burst into dance out of his chair and therapists struggle to get his frail body to sit back down when the song is over.
One of Robinson’s favorite stories is of a woman who used to dance weekly with her husband, but is now bound to a wheelchair with blankets covering her body. When another resident passed her by and said, “We can’t do this anymore. That ship has sailed.” She replied, “Yes, I can.”
“If a 92-year old can do this, then anyone can,” Hoover said.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our residents to be brought back to their younger years and feel empowered to do things with their bodies that they think they can’t do anymore,” Hoover continued. “They have the opportunity to be in a social, fun environment and not feel any pressure to have to achieve something.”
“There is a proven link between music and exercise used for cognitive therapy for people with memory issues,” Hoover said. “You put the music on and it triggers memories. It’s triggering a time when they were more alive and not sitting around doing nothing.”
Robinson and Hoover have both worked hard to bridge the gap between different units within Bridle Brook and within the Mahomet community. As all therapies come together, Bridle Brook also invited family members and the public to participate in Zumba Gold.
“By including everyone and everyone seeing each other on the same level dancing, there’s been an ability to strengthen some bonds between relationships and between different units within the building to make it feel more like a family.”
In the spring of 2015, Robinson invited her Zumba Gold class to dance with the Zumba Kids class she teaches through the MAYC B.L.A.S.T. program. Since the Zumba Kids have met the Bridle Brook residents, they often ask about what is going on in Zumba Gold.
“It’s helped make the connection that this is all inclusive and for everyone,” Robinson said. “I teach the kids that there are people everywhere doing Zumba.”
Robinson also tells her students that they cannot break Zumba by teasing or making fun of other kids. She helps them understand that acceptance is important to the Zumba community everywhere.
Hoover said the Bridle Brook residents love to see the children, and often talk about it for weeks after they’ve had a visit.
“Kristina has been instrumental in helping us grow past our boundaries of these walls, get into and have opportunities for our residents to see children,” Hoover said. “That just bring them back to life. It’s like giving them candy.”
Zumba Gold not only brightens the life of Bridle Brook residents, but the staff also enjoys walking past the gathering. One staff member said, “I just love watching the residents.”
And for Robinson, the experience of teaching those who are often forgotten is often the highlight of her week.
“For me, I can come in in a bad mood, but I walk out with a smile on my face.”
