Body Recall » Featured

Body Recall Family Grows With February Training

staff — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:04:46 +0000

Body Recall has successfully completed its second two-and-a-half-day training of 2012, extending the reach of its lifetime fitness program as it continues to refine and improve upon its new training approach.

Trainers and new instructors celebrated as the February training concluded.

Body Recall has a two-and-a-half day training program scheduled each month during 2012 at Body Recall headquarters in Berea, KY. The next session is March 15-17. Potential instructors or those seeking retraining can attend. More information can be found here or by calling 859-986-2181 or e-mail to info@bodyrecall.org.

Stacey Cunningham, of Manistique in upper Michigan, said the class of new instructors and trainers “became a family really quickly” during the President’s Day weekend.

Cunningham will be bringing Body Recall back to her rural community after a two-year absence, offering classes to her community through her employer, Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital.

“I feel good about leading a class,” Cunningham said as training wrapped up on Monday. “I have lots of tools in my bag that I can pull out.”

She admitted being a little tentative about leading a class before arriving in Berea, but with the support of the Body Recall trainers and staff, said she felt “motivated and energized” as training ended.

Another new instructor who went through the February training, Judith Edwards, is the activities director for Wesley Village, a retirement community in Wilmore, KY, that is opening a $6.5 million wellness center later this year. She said Wesley Village looked at other exercise programs but became sold on the Body Recall program, especially because of its fall prevention and fall recovery component.

“What a super experience and opportunity to learn Body Recall and take it home to the residents, plus the added bonus to use it on my husband and me,” Edwards said as training concluded.

We love the fact that people are embracing our new approach to training and that our program is being seen as a valuable resource in all sorts of settings,” says Jeff Rubin, Executive Director of Body Recall. “It appears that more and more people are discovering what Body Recall instructors across the country already know, that this is a program and an opportunity for people of any and any ability.”

Jackie Hanson is a personal trainer in Versailles, KY, and added Certified Body Recall Instructor to her resume.

“Body Recall is essential to anyone,” Hanson said as training concluded. “Try it … you will get hooked!”

Front row, left to right: Kristin Drury, Carolyn Wallace*, Executive Director Jeff Rubin, Stacey Cunningham, Jackie Hanson, Judith Edwards. Back row, left to right: Anita Patrick*, Alane Mills*, Paula Mertens, Sheila Johnson*, Pat Rogers*, Rachel Dermon. * Trainers

Body Recall Board, Advisors Have Breadth, Depth

staff — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:00:10 +0000

Body Recall is fortunate to have attracted a team of talented individuals to serve on its Board of Directors and as advisors to the organization.

The board, advisors and Executive Director Jeff Rubin are working to build on the strong foundation of Body Recall and ensure that its remains vital and able to fulfill its mission of promoting lifetime fitness.

Body Recall Board of Directors

Chair – Jackie Sims is the Executive Director of the Gathering Place, an award winning community center serving seniors and disabled in Danville and Boyle County, KY. It’s a position she has held for the past 33 years. and one she relishes to this day.

Over the years, the services offered at the center have expanded to include home care, adult day social, and adult day health models, including on-site and home-bound meals and respite care. With a budget of almost $1 million, The Gathering Place serves more than 3,500 seniors annually.

Born and raised in Boyle County, Jackie is a graduate of Campbellsville University earning an associate’s degree in social work and business administration. Among her many honors Jackie was named: Humanitarian of the Year from the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities; Advocate of the Year from the Kentucky Association of Deaf Seniors; delegate to Governor’s Conference on Aging; and Kentucky Delegate to the National Council on Aging’s National Institute of Senior Centers, a position held since 1995.

Vice- Chair – William D. “Bill” Wildman retired as a senior executive with a multi-national manufacturer in Berea, KY in April 2008, Bill was responsible for human resources, regulatory affairs, training, environmental health & safety, risk management, public/ community relations and general business strategy. He was born in Lake City, Florida, and raised in New Cumberland, West Virginia. He entered the military immediately after graduating from high school and spent a varied 20+ year career with assignments in personnel, training, recruiting, as a First Sergeant, Base Superintendent and Personnel Superintendent. He retired from the military in January 1988 he began his career in manufacturing in April 1988.

Secretary- Dr. Jerry Palmer is an Associate Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Eastern Kentucky University, where he has taught since 2001. He has consulted and supervised student consulting projects on topics such as employee selection, test development and validation, training, equal opportunity law and compliance, and other human resources issues. His research on the use of credit reports in employee selection has been reported by Time Magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and other media. He is originally from Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and received his PhD from Georgia Tech in 1999.

Treasurer- Symerdar Baskin has lived in Berea, KY, for 28 years with 25 years in the insurance industry with Horace Mann Insurance, Nationwide and Woodmen of the World. She has also served on numerous boards in Madison County, KY, including Berea Hospital and the St. Joseph’s Berea Foundation, Berea Parks and Recreation Board and United Way of Madison County.

Dr. T. Brock Symons, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gerontology, College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky. Having served on staff for the past two and half years he teaches courses in human aging and the physiology and nutrition of healthy aging. His research interests encompass the preservation of lean body mass through the promotion of skeletal muscle anabolism, the restoration of skeletal muscle function, the enhancement of functional daily performance, and the development and refinement of methods used for such studies in older adults. His current research represents collaborative efforts with three different research units: biomedical engineering, kinesiology, and rehabilitation sciences.

Bob Cornett has had a distinguished career in both government and small business. His government career includes several years as Kentucky’s state budget director, a few years managing regional economic development programs, several years as a consultant in the field of public administration, and a decade with the Council of State Governments and several state and national affiliates. A native of Hazard, Kentucky, he is a firm believer in the power of music to bring multiple generations together Bob, his wife Jean, his six sons and their families take greatpride in having produced the Festival of the Bluegrass in Lexington, Ky for more than 38 years.

Dr. E. W. Schaeffer, M.D. (retired) graduated from University of Illinois Medical School in 1943. He did his residency in anesthesia, then served in World War II from July 1945 until the end of the war and in Hawaii until May 1946. He served as Missionary Medical Director at Red Bird Mission Hospital (operated by the United Methodist Church in Southeastern Kentucky) from June 1946 until July 1984. He then served the Berea College Health Service from 1984 to 1994, when he retired. He and his wife Roberta raised four children and have participated in Body Recall classes since 1984.

BOARD ADVISORS

Jackie Pinkowitz is Managing partner of FuturAge and Chair of the national Consumer Consortium Advancing Person-Centered Living (CCAL) focuses on enhancing person-centered/directed services across home, community and residential settings. Her commitment to advancing consumer choice and providers’ operational excellence are fundamental values she incorporates in collaborating with national organizations and service providers across the social services and healthcare sectors. Jackie earned her M.Ed. from Rutgers University & holds advanced certification in special needs populations. Her career as an educator has spanned early childhood through eldercare. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of CEAL, the national Center for Excellence in Assisted Living in Washington, D.C.; and a member of the advisory councils of Rutgers University School of Social Work Gerontology Program and the HealthCare Association of New Jersey. She is also president of the Brad J. Pinkowitz Memorial Fund, a private, non-profit foundation that provides educational materials and services to disadvantaged children.

Lon Pinkowitz, M.A, is Senior Vice President of FuturAge and focuses on changing the business of care & services in America with particular focus on utilization of emerging technologies. He has applied his expertise in sales & marketing, marketing communications and organizational systems to assist start-up companies & enhance the bottom-line success of corporate & association clients. He serves on the Advisory Board of the national Consumer Consortium Advancing Person-centered Living (CCAL).

Michael Rodriguez, Director of the Small Business Development Center at Eastern Kentucky University. The center provides advice and training to business owners on a number of topics including, business set-up, marketing and accounting. He brings more than 10 years experience in healthcare management to this position, including tenure with long-term care, hospitals, clinics and community mental health agencies. He also has experience as a small business owner, having been a Subway restaurant franchisee for three-and-a-half years. Rodriguez earned his MBA from Morehead State University, and served MSU as a consultant for nearly two years before joining EKU?s Center in 2009.

Executive Director

Jeff Rubin is the National Director of Body Recall Inc., a lifetime fitness and flexibility training program headquartered in Berea, KY and former Co-founder and Chair of the national Alliance for Holistic Aging, a social entrepreneurial model dedicated to addressing aging issues in America. A lifelong advocate of creative collaboration and inclusion, Mr. Rubin is known for his expertise in bringing diverse, multi-sector leaders and groups together to advance consumer-centered, community-based solutions for change.

A former field Director with The National Council on Aging, ee served as the nation’s first State Director for Benefits CheckUp®, a comprehensive public benefit and prescription assistance program for people 55 and older.

As Director, he worked extensively with local, state and federal government agencies, not for profit organizations, and businesses to promote broad-based cooperation, collaboration, and change. His efforts were responsible for a number of innovative initiatives and campaigns that resulted in increased assistance for over 35,000 individuals and families throughout Colorado.

Runner Finds Body Recall to be a Surprising Workout

staff — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:09:21 +0000

Joseph Maina modestly describes himself as being moderately fit. He runs 50 to 60 miles per week and puts in at least one hour a day of moderate to hard training.

So when he sat through his first Body Recall lifetime fitness class, he was surprised by the thoroughness of the workout.

“You are not even sweating but it’s hard,” Joseph says. “The exercise is much more than what I expected.”

Joseph Maina

And what was he expecting?

“I thought it would be easy for me because it was tailored toward seniors,” Joseph says.

Joseph is discovering what Body Recall has been teaching for more than 30 years – you don’t have to have pain to gain from exercise, and the program, while originally designed for seniors is beneficial to anyone of any fitness level.

Joseph already knows quite a bit about exercise. He is earning a master’s degree in exercise and wellness from Eastern Kentucky University, where he was a top cross-country runner as an undergraduate and a part-time coach as a graduate student.

He is working as an intern this semester at Body Recall, and went through the training to become a Certified Body Recall Instructor.

“I want to learn more about the benefits of moving the body,” Maina says. “Benefits as far as aging is concerned.”

He is learning that while the original idea behind Body Recall was an exercise program for older adults, “it is good exercise for everybody,” Joseph says.

Before attending EKU, Maina earned an associated degree from Butler Community College in Kansas. He grew up in Kenya.

He is not sure what the future holds, he may pursue a doctoral degree, depending upon what other opportunities open up. His Body Recall Instructor Certification will be useful wherever he goes. Instructors can hold classes wherever there is enough space to fit the class. Depending on how many classes an instructor leads, being a Body Recall instructor can provide a part-time or full-time income.

Joseph also is using his Body Recall internship to conduct some research under the direction of Body Recall Executive Director Jeff Rubin.

“Joseph is a delight,” Jeff Rubin says. “My intention was to have Joseph shadow one of our instructors as she conducted her Body Recall classes, and then to participate in the certified Body Recall training. The goal was for Joseph to learn as much as possible about Body Recall and then apply that knowledge to research that compared and contrasted Body Recall as it related to other exercise programs, focusing on three specific areas: programs that cater to a senior audience, programs that included fall prevention or fall recovery, and programs that included intergenerational components, bringing grandparents and grandchildren together.”

Joseph went through Certified Body Recall Instructor training in January. “It was amazing what I could learn in just three days,” he said afterward, adding that the program addresses what he learned in college as the five components of fitness:

Muscular strength
Flexibility
Body composition, such as obesity and body mass
Muscular endurance, specifically the core muscles
Cardio-respiratory endurance

He is continuing to participate in Pat Rogers’ class at Body Recall headquarters.

“That is helping me master the form, so I can become a better Body Recall instructor,” he says.

New Trainers With New Approach at Body Recall

staff — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:26:47 +0000

Several longtime Body Recall instructors have stepped up to offer their expertise and experience to be Body Recall trainers in 2012.

The trainers have diverse backgrounds and represent decades of Body Recall instruction.

The new trainers and other Body Recall instructors have provided their input into a revised training schedule that provides instructional materials to instructor trainees in advance of a two-and-a-half day onsite training program at Body Recall headquarters.

In designing the new approach, Body Recall also took advantage of the insight of newly Certified Body Recall Instructor Alane Mills, whose career includes physical education as well as developing and leading train-the-trainer programs for other professional educators.

Also providing input were Body Recall board members Dr. T. Brock Symons, a professor at the University of Kentucky Center on Gerontology who specializes in rehabilitation services, and Dr. Jerry Palmer, associate professor and acting program director for the Industrial/Organizational Psychology program at Eastern Kentucky University and a training design expert.

In addition to covering essential concepts, movements and sequences of the Body Recall lifetime fitness program, the new training schedule also covers class set-up, marketing and self-evaluation.

Body Recall has instructor training sessions scheduled for each month of 2012 at Body Recall headquarters in Berea, KY. Other regional trainings will be scheduled based on demand.

“I am convinced that we have a wealth of talent, ability, and passion within our ranks. That ability and passion is at the core of what makes Body Recall so special. Our intention therefore is to create an environment of inclusion and collaboration where we can learn and grow from one another,” Body Recall Executive Director Jeff Rubin said. “I am very pleased with the process that led to our new core of trainers and the approach we used to develop and redesign our new training program. It brought together veterans and new instructors in a free flowing exchange of ideas of what will be needed to provide greater opportunities for existing instructors, recruit new instructors, and fulfill our mission of reaching and serving more people in the advancement of lifetime fitness.”

The Body Recall trainers are:

Anita Patrick

Anita Patrick of Florence, Ala., has been a Body Recall instructor since 1989. She teaches level 1 and level 2 classes as well as for special populations and has achieved Exemplary Instructor status. She studied physical education at the University of North Alabama.

Anita Patrick

Anita was teaching aerobics and playing competitive softball while also doing some volunteer work for a senior care center. That was where she was first introduced to Body Recall. But it wasn’t until Anita, who has scoliosis, suffered a debilitating back injury while playing softball that she started using Body Recall as part of her rehabilitation. When doctors at Vanderbilt University told her she would need surgery and may never be able to run again, she asked to delay scheduling a surgery while she continued to rehab with Body Recall. By following the Body Recall program, she was able to avoid surgery, amaze the doctors with her recovery and return to the softball diamond.

Patrick has been with Body Recall ever since her recovery.

Carolyn Wallace

Carolyn Wallace has been a Certified Body Recall Instructor since 1985. She currently holds an Exemplary Teacher Certification, which reflects loyalty, commitment and a high level of leadership skill in all levels of classes. She has been involved in health fairs, conferences, and workshops, often leading demonstrations with a team of students from her advanced classes. She is certified as a Trainer of Body Recall for Special Populations, a version of the Body Recall program for those with special needs.

Carolyn Wallace

Her educational background (M.A. – Cultural Anthropology from Arizona State University, 1982) has assisted her ability to visualize and organize projects & trainings that make a difference. Her interest & passion has always been focused on health improvement. She has found Body Recall to be an excellent, life-changing program.

Carolyn served on the Board of Directors of Body Recall Inc., from June 2003 through July 2009. She currently serves on the staff of Body Recall, Inc. as Trainer & Program Coordinator for Special Populations.

Sheila Johnson

Sheila Johnson has been teaching Body Recall since 1989 in Northwest Ohio. She has Exemplary Teacher Certification and became a Special Populations trainer in 1991 and has conducted trainings and workshops in hospitals, long-term care centers, retirement communities, Alzheimer and cancer care centers, and mental health facilities throughout Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Sheila Johnson

Sheila spent a decade as the Resident Activities and Volunteer Director at the Sunset House Retirement Community in Toledo, Ohio, where she was introduced to Body Recall in 1989. She has been a lifelong student and teacher of exercise and modern dance, but feels that she truly became a health educator through Body Recall training and teaching, and has been thrilled to share the benefits of movement, health, and wellness with her students.

In addition to her Body Recall classes, Sheila is a certified teacher of Hatha Yoga, and enjoys her role as an assistant teacher of Adapted Dance for children and young adults with Down Syndrome at the Toledo School of Ballet.

Pat Rogers

Pat Rogers has been leading Body Recall classes since 2005 and currently leads the classes taught at headquarters in Berea, KY, as well as other locations. She has her Intermediate Instructors Certification, Smart Moves Certification and Special Populations Certification.

Pat Rogers

Pat was introduced to Body Recall while leading a 4-H group that implemented the Body Recall Smart Moves for Youth program and saw how the program transformed the behavior of some of the students. She later assisted Body Recall founder Dorothy Chrisman in teaching Smart Moves classes.

Pat has been a registered nurse in Kentucky since 1966 and also operates a beef cattle farm.

Alane Mills

Alane Mills brought her background of physical education and training program development to Body Recall in 2011, becoming Certified Instructor and assisting Body Recall with revising and developing its methods of instructor training.

Alane Mills

Alane, of Danville, KY, graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in physical education in 1981 and earned a master’s degree in health administration from EKU in 1983. She taught in alternative education in the Boyle County School District for 15 years, helping to develop the district’s alternative education program. She designed, developed and led a train-the-trainer program for group facilitators within the school district. In 2001, she co-founded a network marketing firm that she and her husband continue to lead. They also operate a cattle farm.

New Instructor Training Approach a Big Success

staff — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:22:25 +0000

With the start of the new year, Body Recall successfully launched a new approach to instructor training with a two-and-a-half day on-site training session that brought together first-time trainees as well as Certified Instructors for re-training.

The new approach included training materials sent in advance to the trainees, four trainers who brought different areas of expertise, and evening sessions on how to successfully promote themselves and their Body Recall classes.

Trainer Sheila Johnson provides some one-on-one instruction for Joseph Maina.

“Body Recall did an excellent job of selecting trainers,” said Fred Crump, an instructor for 17 years in Richmond, KY, who came in for retraining. “Each one brings their own expertise to the table.”

With the advance materials, the training session covered much of the material as the previous five-day training sessions, while better accommodating people’s schedules.

The training, from Jan. 14-16, attracted new instructors from Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida, and, for the first time, Rhode Island.

“It went very well,” said Molly Owen, of Bella Vista, Ark. She has been a Body Recall student for five years and was motivated to become an instructor to ensure the class she has been attending could continue. “I feel younger today than the first day I was here,” Owen said as the session wrapped up.

The four instructors were Anita Patrick of Florence, Ala.; Sheila Johnson of Toledo, Ohio; and Carolyn Wallace and Pat Rogers, both of whom teach at the Body Recall headquarters. Certified Instructor Alane Mills coordinated the new training format that combines both off-site and on-site instruction.

“I was impressed with the trainees,” said Anita Patrick, who came from Alabama to be one of the instructors.

As the training concluded at midday Monday, Patrick said she was “just sort of blown away,” by the enthusiasm, energy and productivity of the training session.

“The beauty of this new training is to show both current and new instructors what is possible through Body Recall. It combines the best of the old, with the thinking of the new, where people are inspired not only to learn but to share their ideas, creativity, and input,” said Jeff Rubin, Body Recall Executive Director.

The next instructor training session is Feb. 18-20 at the Berea headquarters, with other instructor training sessions scheduled each month in 2012. Rubin is actively recruiting new instructors for Body Recall while encouraging any current instructor eligible for retraining to attend.

Future trainings will use multiple trainers, which provides more time for individual attention and practice teaching than the previous week-long format that was led by one trainer.

“The response to the training was overwhelmingly positive, as evidenced by the smiles on the trainees faces, and their enthusiasm for what they had come to Berea to learn,” Rubin said. “We recognize, however, that we are still a work in progress and lessons learned from our inaugural training will continue to be applied as we grow.”

Here is what other members of the class had to say about their training:

Mary Kaye Lyon, Muncie, Ind., said she has gone through about seven retrainings: “I think the format is great, I thought the trainers were great. I was totally happy with it.”

Elaine Matthes, Louisville, KY: “We’ve had four different trainers presenting material and that’s a real gift because we get to see how four different people do it. … It’s been like a wealth of information. They give extra ideas how to do the exercises, how to talk about it, how to share this with your participants. It’s just really rich in that way.”

“This helps me see that everybody brings who they are to it, and it’s a gift, and it’s OK to think, this is my gift and this is how I’m going to do it. That’s been really great.

Larry Bernhard, Richmond, KY, on being evaluated for demonstrating the sequences:

“We had to really learn it, not just follow somebody.”

Cathy Trcalek, Jacksonville, FL: “Having never had the pleasure of being in a Body Recall class, I found the practical info provided by each trainer (as it would appear) in a classroom setting to be invaluable.”

Joseph Maina, Richmond, KY: “Starting the day with some fun exercises was fun … All the instructors were excellent.”

Anne Graff, Lexington, KY: “All four trainers brought a wealth of experience to this retraining. They demonstrated a passion for teaching, an enthusiasm for the benefits of Body Recall and lifetime fitness, and a kindness and supportive spirit that helped energize the participants with both learning the fundamentals better and providing new ideas for teaching.

“The organizational team that compiled the lesson plans, updated the teachers’ manual and re-created the new training format deserve much credit – Body Recall feels like a ‘living stream’ that has moved to provide updated, creative, valuable materials while honoring the source that created this impressive program.”

Front row, left to right: Molly Owen, Anne Graff, Cathy Trcalek, Larry Bernhard, Elaine Matthes. Second row: Fred Crump, Joseph Maina, Tina Perry, Mary Kaye Lyon. Top row: Pat Rogers, Anita Patrick, Jeff Rubin, Carolyn Wallace, Sheila Johnson, Alane Mills.

Students, Instructor Share Their Success With Body Recall

staff — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:10:18 +0000

In remembering Body Recall founder Dorothy Chrisman, the class of Body Recall instructor Mary Kaye Lyon of Muncie, Ind., offered their thoughts on the impact of the Body Recall program. Here are some of their comments:

Lavenna Putman, age 93:
“Exercise has always been an important part of my life. … When I began getting too tired, about three years ago, I joined a class of Body Recall and I found it the most thorough of any exercise I have ever done. Seeing others work with me is encouraging. The socializing regularly is a real help to me since I live alone. Body Recall is extending my life and helping me to enjoy living.”

Marilyn Jones, age 79:
“I’ve only been in Body Recall a little over a year. It’s the only exercise program I have enjoyed and committed to.”

Fred (age 88) and Eva (age 86) Hillmor:
“Not only the exercise we enjoy but also the wonderful people we interact with.These 15 years of Body Recall have been great.”

Harry (age 87) and Rosalie (age 86) Metzger:
“In September 1998, at our doctor’s suggestion, we began Body Recall. It’s been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Thirteen years of excellent exercising has “kept us going,” even though sometimes we’d rather just take it easy and stay home.
We always feel better after we’ve finished the Body Recall class; plus, we’ve made many wonderful friends there, including Linda Beghtel and Mary Kay.”

Mary Kaye Lyon, age 65:
“I have been an instructor for 21 years. I feel it has been one of the best choices in my life. Dorothy was my first trainer — what a privilege! She inspired me with her energy and determination to get people moving. I have loved teaching and associating with the wonderful people who attend our classes. I have seen miracles occur in the lives of many, many people. Hope returns to their lives as they become confident that they can continue to move and remain active.
Dorothy surely lived her life well. I am grateful to have been touched by her determination and inspiration. I am sorry to say good-bye to such a powerful influence for good in the lives of so many.”

Virginia Byer, age 91:
“I’ve enjoyed Body Recall since 1986. I’ve really appreciated this activity and feel it has helped me reach 91 years.

Marty Raisor, age 74:
“I’ve been coming to Body Recall ever since I retired- 2 ½ yrs. I enjoy it very much and am convinced I feel better because of it.”

Carol Love:
“My Mom participated in Body Recall for 17 years. She was convinced that Body Recall kept her walking and out of a wheelchair. Thanks, Body Recall!!”

Vera, age 91:
“It gets me up and going. I can turn my head and body much better; also better coordination. My balance is also better. I’m 91 and have been coming over a year.”

Carol Casazza, age 69:
“Body Recall has kept me moving for the past 9 years. I look forward to exercising with friends. It gets me going and I feel better when I do it.”

Betty Kendall, age 95:
“I have been in Linda’s class for about 12 years. I am able to do about everything I wish to do.

Joe and Kathy Bush:
To Dorothy,
Thank you for an amazing legacy. Without you and your program- many of us would be in much worse physical condition. You Are A Saint!”

Founder remembered for improving lives of others

staff — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:28:03 +0000

Body Recall founder Dorothy Chrisman was remembered as a woman of faith and an inspiring and demanding leader in adult fitness, enriching the lives of thousands of participants in the Body Recall program.

A memorial service for Chrisman was held on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, in Berea, KY, where she and husband John taught at Berea College, raised their family, and created a pioneering program of adult fitness. Dorothy Chrisman passed away on Nov. 14 in Berea at age 86. John Chrisman, 90, preceded her in death just five short months earlier.

Dorothy and John, who were married for 59 years, “made beautiful music together,” said Bill Ramsay, a former administrator at Berea College and a longtime friend of the Chrisman family. John, a music professor at Berea College, provided the music for the Body Recall exercise program that Dorothy developed in 1978 while a physical education instructor at the college.

“She considered it her mission,” Ramsay said.

That mission included creating Body Recall Inc., the non-profit organization that trained hundreds of teachers in the pain-free, practical and possible methods developed by Dorothy. As part of that mission, she assembled a demonstration team to travel the country in a van to recruit instructors and students to the Body Recall program.

Joan Bates became a member of the travel team after joining a Body Recall class in 1989.

“Dorothy was special to me – so full of energy and ideas,” Bates wrote in a collection of memories about Dorothy during a gathering at Body Recall headquarters in Berea the day before the memorial service.

Lisa Meredith of Louisiana and Julie Ward of South Carolina were longtime Body Recall trainers who recalled the rigorous training required to become a Body Recall instructor.

“We also learned to persevere,” Meredith said. “She wanted us to be excellent.”

Meredith recalled that Dorothy told the Body Recall instructors that they were not doing anybody any favors by letting them get by with anything less than their best.

“She gave us her all,” Meredith said.

Ward met Dorothy in 1987 and remembered being struck by her “passion and vitality.”

Dorothy’s passion for fitness included an emphasis on fall prevention and fall recovery to ensure people could live independently as they age.

“Exercise was not just for the classroom, but for living,” Ward said.

Pat Rogers is an instructor at the Body Recall headquarters that Dorothy helped establish.

“I still see miracles of Body Recall movements in each session, and all our lives are changed for the better,” Rogers wrote at the memorial.

Dorothy Currier was born in Big Bend, Ore., on Aug. 27, 1925. Her life included teaching physical education, dance and choreography. Among the many awards and recognitions she received included being named the Berea Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year in 1980 and being given the Berea College Service Award in 1997.

Said Ruth Ann Barr, Dorothy’s niece, “she was a dynamic woman with a pioneering spirit and visionary wisdom. Our lives are richer because we knew her.”

Jeff Rubin, Executive Director of Body Recall said Dorothy impressed him as a “pioneer and visionary” whose program was “ahead of its time.” As an aging society we’re just catching up to the mission and message that Dorothy and Body Recall espoused, Rubin said. “The best way we can honor her legacy is to continue to train more instructors and make Body Recall’s message of health and wellness available to today’s and tomorrow’s generations.”

Dorothy Chrisman

Body Recall Revamping New Instructor Training Program

staff — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:38:43 +0000

During October and November, Body Recall has been working with a number of its instructors to revamp its new instructor training program and set the stage for expansion of its lifetime fitness program.

“The restructuring was long overdue,” said Jeff Rubin, Executive Director of Body Recall, “to meet the growing demand for more Body Recall instructors and accommodate the need for flexible scheduling.” It still will take 40 hours to become a Certified Body Recall Instructor, but training will be restructured to reflect advance preparation as well as 2½ days of on-site training and follow-up support for new instructors.

Body Recall has scheduled a new instructor training session at its Berea headquarters each month in 2012, with the first session Jan. 14-16. The new schedule also will allow trainees from outside the area more opportunity to experience all that Berea has to offer.

Body Recall has been a leader in adult fitness for more than 30 years with nearly 300 instructors in more than 30 states. Rubin and a team of Body Recall instructors traveled to Rhode Island in November at the invitation of three groups in that state to demonstrate the Body Recall program.

“With rising health care costs, increases in chronic illness, and alarming concerns over obesity and the lack of general fitness among people of all ages, the need for Body Recall is greater now than ever before,” Rubin says.

Body Recall is out to reach those people who are uncomfortable in other exercise programs and are not inclined to lift weights or use machines, but can benefit from Body Recall’s “any place, any time, any age” approach. The benefits include better flexibility, balance, strength, and movement necessary for lifetime fitness and independent living.

The revamped training will cover Body Recall’s philosophy and unique approach to fitness training, places emphasis on demonstrating proficiency in exercise form and lesson planning. It also will cover business development and marketing opportunities for starting and expanding Body Recall classes.

The ultimate goal is fulfilling Body Recall’s mission of encouraging lifetime fitness.

Anybody with a love for fitness and a willingness to promote the Body Recall mission can become a Certified Body Recall Instructor. If you or someone you know would make a good instructor, contact Body Recall at info@bodyrecall.org or call 859-986-2181.

Dorothy Chrisman, Body Recall founder, has died

staff — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:21:43 +0000

Dorothy Chrisman, a pioneer of adult fitness and founder of the Body Recall exercise program, died Monday, Nov. 14. She was 86.

Chrisman created the Body Recall program while she was a physical education instructor at Berea College in Kentucky. She was given the challenge of creating an exercise program for adults at a time when there were no such programs. She drew on her education experience and background in ballet and dance to introduce Body Recall through the college’s Continuing Education Department in the fall of 1979.

She became a champion of adult fitness, traveling across the country to demonstrate a program she called “pain-free, practical and possible.” She founded the Body Recall not-for-profit organization, which grew to include more than 300 fitness instructors in 32 states.

“…No single effort can help more in lowering medical bills, preventing hospitalization, depression and stress, and giving purposeful momentum to people than to get them moving and help them keep physically active. This hope for all is the force behind Body Recall,” Chrisman said.

The program used simple movement, incorporating music played by her husband, John Chrisman, a Berea College music professor.

Dorothy Chrisman would later write that “I named the program Body Recall because that is what I observed in the students. (Detroit was recalling automobiles for the first time the year I began this program.) The name fit right in with the times. I designed a T-shirt with the words, ‘This body has been recalled,’ which served to let people know we were achieving fitness. Our little Appalachian town of Berea, Kentucky, was a front-runner in the move of adult fitness.”

Dorothy Chrisman’s work in fitness earned her numerous awards, including the Outstanding Woman of the Year from the Berea Chamber of Commerce and the Berea College Service Award.

“Body Recall exercises are not new. They are simply natural motion performed thoughtfully and specifically controlled to maximize potential range of motion, strength, coordination, balance and agility, all of which influence body maneuverability and freedom throughout the day,” Chrisman said.

Dorothy Currier Chrisman was born on Aug. 27, 1925, in Big Bend, Ore. She earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from the University of Oregon in 1947. She married John Chrisman on May 31, 1952.

John Chrisman passed away in July 2011. They are survived by five children, Martha Riley (David), Richard (Shirley), Charles (Garnet), James (Cheryl) and John (Jillian); five grandchildren, Daniel Chrisman, Jennifer Faulkner, David Chrisman, Jessica Riley and Emily Riley; and a great-grandson.

Dorothy Chrisman

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. in Berea Baptist Church. Lakes Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

From its headquarters at 590 Mount Vernon Road in Berea, Body Recall trains instructors and students in the methods developed by Chrisman. It continues to fulfill the mission set forth by Chrisman: “To offer all people a better quality of life through responsible movement that is pain-free and possible: to assist, inform, teach, and train people in the practice of lifetime fitness.”

Special honors:

Commissioned as a member of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness

Commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel for her work with the aging population

Named Outstanding Woman of the Year in 1980 by the Berea Chamber of Commerce

Named Citizen of the Year by the Berea Lions Club

Named as a Woman of Achievement in 1981 by the Berea Business and Professional Women’s Club

Cited by the Board of Directors of the Center for the Study of Aging in Albany, NY

Cited by the Kentucky Recreation and Parks Society for outstanding contributions to the leisure profession

Given the Applaudit Award from the National Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Association

Given the Berea College Service Award in 1997

Publications:

Body Recall: A Program of Physical Fitness for the Adult, 1980, currently in its 9^th edition

Teacher’s Guide to Accompany Body Recall: A Program of Physical Fitness for the Adult, 1980

Monthly column in NEW Day, The Magazine for Well-Seasoned Kentuckians

“Badminton at 65 and Older,” National Journal of Physical Education and Recreation, 1978

“Badminton Warm-Ups,” Kentucky Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation Journal

Audio, video productions:

Instructional audio tape to accompany Body Recall: A Program of Physical Fitness for the Adult, 1986

Video, Body Recall Exercises by Dorothy Chrisman, 1987

Video, Falls and Recovery From the Floor, 1993

Body Recall on falls, fall recovery on WKYT

staff — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:25:54 +0000

Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, is the first day of Fall and National Falls Prevention Awareness Day. Here is Body Recall Executive Director Jeff Rubin and Teacher Carolyn Wallace discussing how the Body Recall program addresses falls and Dr. Everett Schaeffer demonstrating one way to get back up after a fall.

The video is from WKYT NewsFirst at Noon which aired Sept. 19, 2011, all across Kentucky.

VIEW VIDEO