1. What made you conscious of the need to be healthy and fit?
I had always been conscious about health and fitness. I had also enrolled in aerobic and taebo classes. Then I started teaching Aerobics and Taebo after I resigned as a P.E.teacher in 2004. I did some private classes for a program of three months.
Then I realized that inspite of my physical activities, I continued to gain weight! I was that time 134 lbs. even though I was consistent with my gym workouts. It was obviously because I didn’t have discipline in my eating habits.
About that time, my father was hospitalized for 24 days; 13 days at ICU. I think overeating and not eating enough fiber caused the eruption of the lining of his large intestines. I didn’t want that to happen to me so I decided to change my diet starting January 2011.
There are many benefits we can derive from regular exercise: it reduces the risk of heart diseases, prevents and controls high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoporosis; it also delays the aging process because energy and vigor are increased, obesity is controlled, and we are less vulnerable to stress and irritation. Good health is therefore a result of being physically-fit.
2. How much effort do you exert to exercise each day? How strenuous is it?
As a dance instructor, I spend more than three hours on MWF for aero dancing, taebo, and dancercise; and two hours on TTh for muscle toning with dumbbells and floor exercises.
I don’t find these strenuous anymore because I think my body has adjusted to this daily regimen, developing strength, stamina, and flexibility. I would say this is a result of careful planning, hard work, and self-discipline through the years.
3. What motivates you to do these activities each and every single day?
I am motivated by the various people who come join me in my dancing classes.
Their mere interest in what I can teach them drives me to share with them the importance of toning muscles and of exercise through dancing. A person with strong and resilient muscle assumes an attractive and comfortable posture, resulting in an attractive figure and radiant self-confidence.
I am also motivated by this my passion for dancing. This is where I find joy; it’s stress-relieving and tension-reducing.
I’m also driven to exercise daily because I really want to live a healthy, satisfying, useful, and more productive life.
4. What do you eat? What do you try to avoid?
I eat all my regular meals especially breakfast because it’s the most important for the day. I never skip a meal because it usually results in food craving, and then you end up eating more.
Starting January 2011, I seldom ate red meat or chicken; I ate more of fish and vegetables. With that combination of a fish-veggies-fruits diet and aero-dancing, I actually lost 12 pounds in a few weeks.
I definitely eat rice as my chief source of energy in my vigorous and prolonged exercises.
I avoid eating in fastfood chains or quick-service restaurants which mostly have fatty foods, but I can’t resist pastries. So if I really have to indulge in anything, then I just have to sweat it out, and burn the calories.
5. Tell us about the dance program you lead at the Perdices Stadium lobby.
I started my dance program at Perdices Stadium on Jan. 2 this year after the previous dance instructor left for Dubai. She was actually my dancercise teacher for almost two years. About 150 dance enthusiasts — mostly government employees, students, and homemakers — participate in this regularly/daily.
At first I was hesitant to accept my teacher’s offer, but I realized I can actually help those who really show interest to learn a dance move, tone or strengthen their muscles, improve flexibility, and have better coordination.
Although the dance program at the Perdices Stadium is held late afternoon, there really is no best time for a person to exercise; certainly, a regular daily exercise is the best means to develop a good physique.
6. What rewards do you get from teaching a huge group?
I get to build better self-confidence, develop patience, meet different types of people with various personalities and age groups.
It’s enjoyable, exciting, challenging, and inspiring because I get to see first-hand middle-aged people who aspire to dance even with the fast beat.
And it’s simply rewarding when you see people who strive to change their lifestyle — like exercising regularly — for the sake of good health and physical fitness.
Laarni Catada was a Physical Education teacher at Foundation University High School before she went into private training/coaching. She now teaches Dancing from 8-9am MWF at Cellutrim along San Jose St.; from 4:30-6pm on weekdays at the Perdices Stadium lobby; and begins again from 6:15-7:15pm at The Court behind Hypermart also on weekdays.
