> OLLI Courses By Topic > Fitness, Health, & Self-Interests

Fitness, Health, & Self-Interests

Better Balance! Steady and Strong
Are you looking for an exercise program designed to improve your everyday life? This course, led by a physical therapist, will focus on balance and core strengthening exercises. Come join the fun and learn a program designed to improve your posture and daily function, while also decreasing your risk of falls and injury.

No special equipment is needed, and most of the exercises are completed standing. No part of the program involves getting up and down from the floor. This program is suitable for beginners yet appropriate for those with more exercise experience as it can be adapted to fit individual needs.

Show Description
Instructor: Diane Markovitz Fee: $0.00
Dates: 3/14/2023 - 4/11/2023 Days: Tu Times: 9:00 AM - 9:55 AM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on March 14, 21, 28; Apr 4 and 11.

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Chakra Yoga: All Levels
This course moves through traditional yoga poses (or asanas) that align each individual chakra, moving up the spine from the root chakra to the crown chakra. Chakras are energy centers located across different points on our spinal column. When energy becomes blocked in a chakra, it triggers physical, mental, or emotional imbalances that manifest in symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, or poor digestion. This class is for the student who likes a fluid, mindful practice that links alignment, movement, and breath. Participants should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and have a yoga mat.

Show Description
Instructor: Jill Clary Fee: $0.00
Dates: 2/1/2023 - 4/12/2023 Days: W Times: 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM Sessions: 10
This is a 10 week course

This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on Feb 1, 8, 15, 22; March 1, 15, 22, 29; Apr 5 and 12.

Community Emergency Response Team
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is a nationally supported, locally implemented initiative that teaches people how to better prepare themselves for hazards that may affect their communities. CERT trains volunteers in basic disaster response skills, which frees up professional responders to focus their efforts on more complex, essential, and critical tasks. In this program, we will review the following CERT training topics: Disaster Preparedness, CERT Organization, Disaster Medical Operations, Disaster Psychology, Fire Safety and Utility Control, Light Search and Rescue, and CERT and Terrorism.

Show Description
Instructor: Darryl Jones Fee: $0.00
Dates: 2/10/2023 - 3/3/2023 Days: F Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Sessions: 4
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on Feb 10, 17, 24 and March 3.

First Aid: You Are the First Responder
First aid is the initial assessment and treatment given to an injured or ill individual to maintain them until definitive (via 911) care can be administered. The person performing the first aid is the true "First Responder." When definitive care is delayed due to weather conditions or is far away (as in the wilderness), the victim must be treated in place. In these situations, equipment needed for treatment and evacuation may have to be improvised from what is available and the usual communications (911) may be limited or non-existent. This course is designed for people of all ages who want to learn basic, life-saving techniques. The course is designed to cover the gamut of injuries and illnesses encountered in the home, on the street, or in the wilderness.

Show Description
Instructor: Richard Daffner Fee: $0.00
Dates: 1/30/2023 - 2/27/2023 Days: M Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on Jan 30; Feb 6, 13, 20 and 27.

Getting the Most from your iPad
If you have been “playing around” with your iPad but have always wondered how to harness its full power, this course is for you. You will learn how to make the most of the iPad’s many features and understand exactly what makes this an incredibly useful piece of technology. This course will focus on all the various tips and tricks, and you will get smart in your use of the iPad--from arranging apps to diving into the control center, to helping the battery stay powered, to splitting the screen! You will learn about widgets, managing storage, navigating between app features and so much more. For this course, you will need an iPad running the current version of iPad OS 16.

Show Description
Instructor: Richard Fitzgibbon Fee: $0.00
Dates: 3/14/2023 - 4/11/2023 Days: Tu Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on March 14, 21, 28; Apr 4 and 11.

Humor and Human Life
Is humor an intrinsic part of being human? What is funny to us? Why is it funny? What does offensive humor tell us about ourselves, our society? This course introduces students to the philosophy, history, culture, and psychology of humor and laughter. Our time will be spent reviewing pertinent literature, observing humorous archetypes, and actually creating our own examples. The objective is to enable participants to achieve a little wisdom about mirth and self.

Show Description
Instructor: Joseph Givvin Fee: $0.00
Dates: 3/13/2023 - 4/10/2023 Days: M Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Sessions: 5
This class will be held In-Person
This class will meet on March 13, 20, 27; Apr 3 and 10.

Nutrition and Food: Planning for a Health-Smart New Year
It is interesting that many of us still make New Year’s Resolutions. If you are one of these people who make resolutions, did you keep them? If you did not, why? From a food and nutrition viewpoint, evaluation and planning are part of the path to a health-smart lifestyle. However, enthusiasm or habit sometimes overpower what is realistic for you. New dietary guidelines, varied food sources, evolving health issues, and changing access tend to put realism at the forefront before we get through the first month! This course will explore nutrition questions, evidence and promising points that you can use to plan and keep health-smart resolutions…at least until spring!

Show Description
Instructor: Judith Dodd Fee: $0.00
Dates: 3/13/2023 - 4/10/2023 Days: M Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on March 13, 20, 27; Apr 3 and 10.

Spirited Fun Improv
Improv is play. Imagine for the next 90 minutes that everything you say or do will be right. You cannot make a mistake. No scripts. Nothing to remember. No wrong answers. Just have fun! Your rich collection of life experiences, assorted objects, and literary prompts inspire the games and short scenes. “Yes and …” means you listen and agree with your partner’s suggestions, then add something of your own to move the scene forward. Your partner does the same for you. You leave refreshed with the sound of laughter to brighten your day.

Show Description
Instructor: Emily Harris Fee: $0.00
Dates: 3/16/2023 - 4/13/2023 Days: Th Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Sessions: 5
This class will be held In-Person
This class will meet on March 16, 23, 30; Apr 6 and 13.

Spring Gardening Is Fun
Doug Oster shows how to get the garden going in spring to set the stage for a great season. He will cover seed starting, choosing plants, early planting tips, how to get the lawn in shape, soil improvement, indoor plants and much more.

Show Description
Instructor: Doug Oster Fee: $0.00
Dates: 3/13/2023 - 4/10/2023 Days: M Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on March 13, 20, 27; Apr 3 and 10.

Virtual Hands-On Indian Cooking Class Series
Five Indian cooking classes will be offered: 1.) Indian cooking basics, 2.) introduction to Indian breads, 3.) South Indian dishes, 4.) North Indian dishes and spices and pickles, 5.) Chai/Chaat and Chat. Upon successful completion of the course, members will become familiar with ingredients used in Indian cooking, comfortably shop at Indian grocery stores, prepare dishes taught in class on their own and understand differences in Indian regional cooking/dishes. Topics to be covered include but are not limited to: Indian food history (briefly covered), Indian spices and how they are used, regional Indian dishes, Indian festival dishes, typical equipment used in Indian cooking (old and new) and adapting to Indian cooking in North America.

Show Description
Instructor: Jayashree Iyengar Fee: $0.00
Dates: 3/17/2023 - 4/14/2023 Days: F Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on March 17, 24, 31; Apr 7 and 14.

Wild Edibles of Early Spring
Early spring--though it might seem like the earth is still in winter slumber--is an amazing time to go out and look for wild edible foods and mushrooms. March and April still get snow, but each week, more and more plants are making their appearance, and it is a fantastic time to witness the coming of spring. We will explore local parks and find and discuss wild plants that can be used as food and health. We will start in March by finding cold-loving plants such as deadnettle, chickweed, garlic mustard, onion grass and more! Each week, more plants will be added: burdock, dandelion, fiddleheads and violet. By mid-April we will have seen over 30 different wild edible plants emerge, and we will learn how to identify, responsibly harvest and use each of them in delicious ways.

Show Description
Instructor: Melissa Sokulski Fee: $0.00
Dates: 3/16/2023 - 4/13/2023 Days: Th Times: 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over In-Person
This class will meet on March 16, 23, 30; Apr 6 and 13.

Wild Plants and Mushrooms as Food and for Your Health
In this course, we will explore the use of wild plants and mushrooms as food and health. We will also look at aspects of foraging, such as its history and current use, responsible foraging, and Harvard University research of wild foods being useful for longevity. We will look at specific plants and mushrooms common to Western Pennsylvania and discuss their identification, how to find, harvest, store and prepare them for culinary and therapeutic uses. This course was suggested by members who took the instructor’s earlier offerings.

Show Description
Instructor: Melissa Sokulski Fee: $0.00
Dates: 1/31/2023 - 2/28/2023 Days: Tu Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on Jan 31; Feb 7, 14, 21 and 28.

Chair Yoga
This gentle form of yoga is practiced using a chair as a prop/stabilizer for support during standing poses or adapted for sitting on a chair. It is especially beneficial for people concerned with balance or coordination issues or those who have felt they are unable to participate in other yoga experiences. The class includes poses for strength training, mobility in the joints, and more relaxing poses to help steady the mind. Opportunities to intensify, with modifications to make the poses more accessible, will be offered throughout the course so that participants learn to adapt to their personal situations and comfort as well as challenge themselves. The course is appropriate for all levels.

Show Description
Instructor: Susan Gillis Kruman Fee: $0.00
Dates: 1/30/2023 - 4/10/2023 Days: M Times: 12:00 PM - 12:55 PM Sessions: 10
This is a 10 week course.

This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on Jan 30; Feb 6, 13, 20, 27; March 13,20,27; Apr 3 and 10.

Dance and Be Fit
This course engages all age groups and all ability levels with fun and easy dance and fitness routines. Learning basic dance and fitness moves will help participants take more steps toward a healthier lifestyle and to get moving. No experience or special skills are needed. The course is great for beginners as well as veteran dancers. It can be adapted to anyone’s unique needs.

Show Description
Instructor: Roland Ford Fee: $0.00
Dates: 2/3/2023 - 4/14/2023 Days: F Times: 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM Sessions: 10
This is a 10 week course

This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on Feb 3, 10, 17, 24; March 3, 17, 24, 31; Apr 7 and 14.

Gentle Yoga
This course is geared for those new to yoga or those who are interested in a gentle practice. It includes a combination of meditation, breath work, and flowing movement intended for all abilities. This course offers nurturing, kindness, and compassion for the body, regardless of a participant’s physical abilities, age, or experience. You will experiment with balance, strength, flexibility, and stillness while practicing mindfulness and meditation techniques.

Show Description
Instructor: Jill Clary Fee: $0.00
Dates: 2/1/2023 - 4/12/2023 Days: W Times: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Sessions: 10
This is a 10 week course

This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on Feb 1, 8, 15, 22; March 1, 15, 22, 29; Apr 5 and 12.

TED Talks
Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED), a nonprofit organization that promotes “ideas worth spreading,” features talks by some of the world’s most engaging speakers on a wide variety of subjects. The TED website features more than 3,900 talks on video. In this class be prepared for discussion! We will discuss, debate, and reflect on a few of these talks each week. Some talks are informational, and some are just plain fun. Group members are encouraged to select talks that inspire or intrigue them to kick off the discussion.

Show Description
Instructor: Kathy Callahan Fee: $0.00
Dates: 2/1/2023 - 3/1/2023 Days: W Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on Feb 1, 8, 15, 22 and March 1.

Zumba Gold
The Zumba Gold® fitness program is designed to meet the anatomical, physiological and psychological needs of adults 50 and better. Like the traditional Latin inspired Zumba workout, the Zumba Gold® workout incorporates many of the dance and fitness routines set to Latin and international rhythms but is performed at a lower intensity. Participants have a good time while increasing their physical fitness.

Show Description
Instructor: Lisa Sobek Fee: $0.00
Dates: 3/18/2023 - 4/15/2023 Days: Sa Times: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Sessions: 5
This class will be held over Zoom
This class will meet on March 18, 25; Apr 1, 8 and 15.

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