by Ardeana Hamlin
of The Weekly Staff
HAMPDEN, Maine — Snow, sleet and roads squishy with slush did not keep approximately 40 men and women from attending an exercise class led physical therapist Dana Tardif at 8 a.m. on Dec. 2 at the Skeehan Gymnasium.
Tardif, 60, is the owner of Community Wellness and Therapy at 11 Main Road North in Hampden, a private-practice physical therapy facility. Clad in a blue shirt and dark gym pants with two white stripes down the sides, he led the group — dressed in T-shirts, sweats and sneakers — through nearly an hour of exercises.
Class participant Joan Lumino of Hampden wore a T-shirt that sported the words: Life is good. Stay fit. “I’ve been attending the classes for several months, and I look forward to them,” she said.
The workout music, which had a definite country flair, began with slow tempo songs that ramped up a bit as the exercisers, ranging in age from 45 to 98, shifted gears as the demands of the exercises required.
Participants bent, twisted, swayed, walked on their heels, then on their toes and got down on floor mats for stretching. Mid-way through the session, participants fast-walked and skipped randomly over the gym floor, the squeak of their sneakers and the patter of many feet drowning out the music. The session ended with a short stint of working with hand weights.
Tardif said the workout is divided into warm up, dynamic movement, weights and cool down segments.
The object of the class is to keep muscles in good working condition and to fine tune balance.
Tardif, who came to live in Hampden in 1987, graduated in the mid-1980s with a degree in physical therapy from the University of New England, a member of the first physical therapy class to graduate from that university. “My interest was in sports medicine, but I found I really liked geriatrics. My father had Parkinson’s, and had balance issues. I developed a special interest in preventing falls and keeping seniors in their homes — viable and functioning. It made sense to get something [the class] going in the community,” Tardif said.
Tardif established the exercise class in 2000. It has been held at the Skeehan Gymnasium, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for approximately a year.
“It’s a life saver,” said Lois Cole of Etna. “I come here three days a week. It keeps me active and moving. Dana is a gifted physical therapist.”
Tardif said his inventory of exercises includes moves to help build confidence in a person’s ability to overcome a tendency to stumble or fall, or not be able to “catch themselves” to avoid a fall. “I encourage people working to gain balance to go outside their comfort zone. It makes me feel good to see people improve their balance, “ Tardif said. “One-third of our body information comes from our feet, and one-third from the neck. Also, the eyes, ears, muscles and joints all have to be integrated and working together for proper balance.”
Sometimes, Tardif said, more than 60 people attend the class each week. The class is offered through the Hampden Recreation Program at a cost of $1 for each class.
“There is no commitment to attend every class,” Tardif said. “People attend when they want to. There is no pressure. People work as hard as they want at whatever level they are comfortable with.”
At Community Therapy and Wellness, Tardif’s son, Sean has the role of business manager, and his son, Mike, works as a physical therapist. Tardif’s wife, Debra, fills in as needed.
Ruth Stearns of Hampden said of participating in the exercise class, “It helps me to get the housework done.”
“The class is excellent for overall conditioning,” said participant Steve Brown, who served as the Hampden Academy cross country team coach from 2003 to 2013. “I’m used to running and this is a great workout.”
Near the end of the session, Tardif, leading exercises while laying on a mat on the floor, reached for a towel to dry his face.
“It’s the ideal place,” he said of the Skeehan Gymnasium. “It has good parking, accessibility, no stairs, on the ground level.”
The is also a social component. People chat and laugh with one another and arrange time to meet for coffee.
“It’s good to see people interact and to get older people out of the house,” Tardif said.
“It keeps me on my toes,” said Mary Ann Tardif, Dana’s mother, who participates in the class. “If I didn’t have this, I’d be sitting in a rocking chair knitting. This keeps me going.”
For information about the class, call Community Therapy and Wellness at 862-3906 or Hampden Recreation at 207-862-6451.