About This Program
Educational, engaging, and highly entertaining, Jill’s Fitness for Your Aging Brain classes get you up and ‘thinking on your feet’… literally!
While your body works on improving your balance, coordination, aerobic capacity, and muscle strength, your brain will be busy working on an ever-changing series of fun and challenging mental tasks timed to the rhythm of lively, energetic music.
Jill has spent a dozen years and close to 4000 classes experimenting with different types of movement patterns and rhythms that most effectively stimulate your brain and enhance your cognitive function. Every class presents a brand-new set of physical and mental tasks, so you and your brain never get bored.
Classes include a weekly take-home Healthy Brain Tip that delves into the latest cutting-edge research in neuroscience, geriatrics, and exercise science. Jill will explain how to apply the latest scientific discoveries to your daily life to help you maintain peak physical and cognitive wellness throughout a lifetime.
Engaging
Energizing
Entertaining
What You’ll Improve
Your brain and body are deeply connected — and the way you move impacts how you think, feel, and age. Here’s what you’ll work on in every session:
Balance
Balance is critical to aging safely, aging well and aging with confidence. This class
teaches your body to more effectively communicate with your brain to improve balance and reduce your risk of falls.
Strength
Maintaining muscle mass as you age is directly related to your cognitive function.
Glucose (your brain’s main fuel source) is metabolized within muscle tissue. Offsetting the loss with the right form of exercise is important for healthy aging.
Posture
Posture affects everything: your breathing, your balance, the efficiency of your internal organs, your mental state, and your brain function.
Learn to step out into the world and walk like a twenty-year-old again!
Coordination
As you age, you likely sit more, move less and engage in far fewer complex physical challenges.
However, by challenging your body to undertake complex muscle movement patterns, you force your brain to create new neural connections and even stimulate the growth of new brain cells.
Focus and Attention
Engaging in complex physical movement patterns combined with simultaneous mental challenge seizes your brain’s attention.
Exercises that require intense concentration improve your brain’s ability to focus on the present moment.
Cognitive Agility
Multitasking is a myth. Your brain can only focus on a few undertakings at once before its attention begins flipping back and forth from one focal point to another.
Cognitive flexibility exercises train your brain to switch attention rapidly, increasing your mental sharpness.
What participants say about Jill’s Fitness for Your Aging Brain classes…
After 10 years of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation from complete amnesia and lingering mild spasticity, I was limited to movements on a chair or machine. In just six weeks with Jill, for the first time, I could move on my feet for a full 1.5 hr session, plus stay in rhythm with my arms. Even more remarkable has been the opening of detailed memories I’d not accessed, and I can sing again!
From out of nowhere, “Old Age” swooped down, dug its talons into my flesh and pinned me to the ground. In no time, pain invaded my muscles and joints, and movement caused my body to cry out. Brain fog crept in and became a daily companion. Words that used to be at my beck and call no longer showed up. My voice was leaving me. Depression took over. I was contemplating selling my house and car, giving up my independence and surrendering my care to others. Life was scary.
This is the state I was in when I heard about Fitness For The Aging Brain. Having nothing to lose, I tried one class and then another. Through movement and music and rhythm, and information of the mind-body connection, I got out of my “funk” and reinvested in living. The physical pain has subsided, but I know it lies in wait to rear its ugly head if ever I choose to give up and say, “What for?”. The brain fog has gone, and more and more words and memories are coming back. I’m remembering events and people I never knew were in my memory bank. I am back doing the daily tasks I did before, granted with less strength and speed. I listen to webinars, carry on intelligent conversations, walk, do aquafit and am learning as much as I can about myself before I leave this planet. To “Old Age” and its anticipated disabilities, I say, “Not yet…..Not yet!” I am back in control. THANK YOU!
Wow, Jill what a super AWESOME class!!!
So much wonderfulness.
I loved the music
I loved that you could change the pace of the music
And of course, all the moves and information. What a gift it is to behold your class.
I also loved the end visualization and stretch and follow-up questions.Thank you so much for making this available.
Jill is a font of creativity and energy, and most inspiringly, a teacher of a holistic approach to aging as a physical, social, intellectual and philosophical approach to life’s later years. Brain fitness is the big idea and driving focus behind the design of all her classes. Jill teaches how to ‘do’ aging mindfully and constructively. It’s a life-changer.
Our aging “boomer” generation needs more people who learn and teach about aging, fitness and wellness, more like Jill Simpson. She has developed a tremendous blend of activity and teaching that produces tangible fitness and more intangible mind-changing ideas about how to live an active, intentional life as an elder.
These unique classes teach seniors new and exciting ways to maintain physical and cognitive well-being as they age. When seniors age better, all of society feels the positive impact, including our healthcare system.
I just need to say how influential you have been on my recovery. It is scary losing cognitive abilities, and having the support and understanding of people in similar situations helps a lot. You preach acceptance, love, and support. Not only are your classes helping my memory and body, but they are helping with my self-esteem, confidence and showing care to others. Your program is gold, and I wanted to let you know how much it has helped me. Thank you!
What a great class! Never thought cardio could be fun, but this is!! Can’t always keep up and often slip off the patterns but it just makes me laugh as I know I’m not all that coordinated but, in the end, it doesn’t matter. I get a great workout regardless because I’m pretty much always moving. Love the music Jill picks. My body starts moving as soon as I hear the theme music for her class and my spirit picks up as well.
