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Lorena Smalley

ESSENTRICS® AGE REVERSING 
INSTRUCTOR: LORI GRIFFITH

 

QUESTIONS?  PLEASE CONTACT OUR PROGRAMS TEAM

  • Phone: 780-483-1209 Ext. 228
  • Email: pr******@we*******.ca

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Prepare to be standing through the majority of the class.
  • There are 10 minutes on the floor, if you are unable to get down on the floor, you can do this part of the class from a chair.

EQUIPMENT:

  • Yoga mat
  • Yoga strap/Theraband

2025 WINTER TERM – TUESDAY EVENINGS

SESSION 1

  • January 7 to February 25 (8 Classes)
  • 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Cost $88

SESSION 2

  • March 4 to April 22 (8 Classes)
  • 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Cost $88
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR EVENING SESSIONS

2025 WINTER TERM – FRIDAYS

 

SESSION 1

  • January 10 to February 28 (8 Classes)
  • 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
  • Cost $88

 

SESSION 2

  • March 7 to April 25 (7 Classes)
  • No class on April 18
  • 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
  • Cost $77
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FRIDAY SESSIONS

WHAT IS ESSENTRICS

  • ESSENTRICS® – Is a dynamic, full-body workout, suitable for all fitness levels created by Canadian, Miranda Esmonde-White, the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Aging Backwards and Forever Painless.
  • This fitness program has been around for 20+ years and has been widely seen on PBS where Miranda has developed a strong following of students.
  • This is an age reversing workout that will rebalance your body, restore movement in your joints, increase the flexibility in your muscles, relieve pain and stimulate your cells to increase energy, vibrancy and your immune system.

AGING REVERSING ESSENTRICS

This is an age reversing workout that will restore movement in your joints, improve flexibility and strength in your muscles, relieve pain and stimulate your cells to increase energy, vibrancy and your immune system.   

This class is aimed at regaining your mobility while slowly building strength and reawakening the power of your 650 muscles!  This class has a slower pace than our general Essentrics class.  It is designed for those who have atrophy related stiffness, frozen shoulder, chronic aches and pains or who are beginning to exercise after a long sedentary period.  For men and women of all ages who are looking for a gentle, slow tempo class.

  • 1 hour class
  • We are standing through the majority of the class, with 10 minutes on the floor doing stretching and the last 15 minutes standing using a chair to do stretching.
  • If you are unable to get down on the floor you can do this part of the class from a chair
  • This is not designed for people with mobility issues.  We have an Essentics Gentle Stretch and Seated Stretch Fit classes that might be fit.

  

WARM UP

We start the class with some gentle movements from a standing position.  We work the top 3 muscles (front, back and side) by swinging our arms, bending the wrists, moving in a nice gentle way to loosen up and warm up.  For our lower body we do things like swinging our legs gently, gentle kicking and arm movements as we get ready for our class.  

This class is all about movement as we work on range of motion, mobility, strength, flexibility and toning.

        

UPPER BODY

We root our body and get into a nice full back stretch.  We then move into big movements to free up the spine and work through the arms, shoulders and back, focusing on rotation, lateral and forward and backward movement of the spine. 

       

LOWER BODY

After that we do a series of movements working on the legs and lower body…lunges, stretching and toning the lower body, calf stretches, getting into the Achilles and our whole leg.  We continue with light kicks and lengthening our legs as we work on our balance and toning.  We also work on different movements, as we work to improve our balance in our lower body.

Now we move back into working on our arms, moving our fingers, wrists and more.  Then we go back to our spine work, doing windmills, strengthening our backs as we add in lower body movements as well…nice big circular movements as we work on strengthening our functional movements.  

 

     

 

     

We continue these transitions between our upper and lower body movements until we are ready to get down on the ground.

We do find participants often start using a chair to help with balance but as they progress through the series of classes, their balance and strength often improves enough to no longer need the chair for assistance.

      

     

        

ON THE FLOOR and CHAIR MODIFICATIONS

We start with a fitness strap to help us as we work on our range of motion and create a bit of resistance.  We do a series of lower body stretching on our backs.  We also do some core strengthening with some gentle movements to balance our body.  The instructor will remind you to work within your own range of motion.  

We work towards the end of the class with some stretching from a sitting position (either on the floor or in a chair), doing hip flexor stretches, hamstrings and other lower body exercises

 

 

COOL DOWN

Now it’s time to cool down with gentle spine movements, stretching and movement to cool down the rest of our body. 

Now you are ready for the rest of your day!

INSTRUCTOR – Lori Griffith –  Level 2 instructor

   

  • Lori is a Certified ESSENTRICS® Instructor and lifelong fitness enthusiast. 
  • She is the owner of eOne Fitness Studio in Windermere (SW Edmonton). 
  • Lori discovered the Aging Backwards movement when searching for programs for her parents and has been dedicated to bringing this program to the seniors of Edmonton for the last 4 years. 
  • She loves working with Active Agers (55+) and teaching the ESSENTRICs® program. 
  • Lori brings a fun energy to class and enjoys getting to know her students and helping them to become and stay more active, independent and healthy. 
  • She currently teaches ESSENTRICS® at Westend Seniors Activity Center,  Central Lions Senior Center and Southwest Edmonton Seniors Association as well as at the eOne Fitness Studio.

INSTRUCTOR – Samara Hipkin –  Level 4 instructor

   

Samara Hipkin is a Level 4 Certified Essentrics® Instructor and Swim Coach.  Samara has been teaching Essentrics for over 4 years with eOne Fitness and currently teaches at WSAC.   She enjoys working with seniors and children and her warm smile and kind heart makes her students feel welcome as she encourages them to keep learning and moving with Essentrics®.