Hello world, welcome to WFHR's Rapids Report for this July 24th 2025 show is
proudly brought to you by Crockett Sceptic. Big thank you to them and a big
thank you to our guest today from UW Extension. We have Kazooa Tao with us
bilingual among community health worker Kazoo. It's nice to see you. Nice to see you
again James. Thanks for being here and always hanging out with us and putting up
my questions and all that. We're going to have some fun today talking a little
bit about the benefits of strong bodies and some upcoming classes. Let's get
into that. Yeah so for those folks who don't know what strong bodies is
Extension brought strong bodies program. It started off as strong woman and
eventually it became not just for the the woman population right it really has
benefits for everybody so they switch it to strong bodies and strong bodies is
meant for all ages really. We have participants who are in their 20s all the way
to the 80s and 90s and it has benefits to everybody regardless of how you're
living, how your your body is of what age it really is created. It was
created to really support people to have stronger healthier lives by just
doing. I want to say the basics of strains training right and it's everything
that we do for strong bodies has some kind of benefit for everyday life and
then I always say it's a great time to come and socialize with other people
too. There are people all over the world who come to strong bodies just for
the social piece of it who they're like I really don't want to exercise I'm
going to do the minimal but I'm really here to do the talking so yeah there's
so many benefits to strong bodies. I want to come back to the fellowship and the
friendship and all that but you mentioned this being around the world and this
is a program that is very popular and has done very well in multiple communities
around the country. Oh yes definitely it started off just in the US and I want to
say it probably hasn't like isn't really well known around the world but at
the same time people who do participate in strong bodies if they truly enjoy it
they have the option of becoming a volunteer leader and so they could take it
to wherever they are right. For example if I'm living here and I'm a strong
bodies leader and I move overseas somewhere if I think such it's such a great
program I can always continue and create classes really it's a benefit to
anybody no matter where you are. I may have stretched a little far there without
the world but I appreciate you be there. What you're saying there is such a
cool point too I think for just individuals if you're looking to take these
classes or already have been to keep that in mind that this now that's one of
I think the coolest things about programs like this classes that you guys
offer that knowledge is yours you got that for life and you know as you you know
what you do with it and everything is kind of yours I think that's really
cool about no matter who we get to talk to from extension this is one of those
programs to coming back to the fellowship part of it the friendship thing we
know we put a lot of focus in the isolation of our seniors and talking about
this and while anybody can take these classes and they're good for anybody at
an age I do think about that right away and I know that in talking with you on
air off air about these classes and stuff this is one of those things and
groups of people that tend to take these classes consistently we see good
numbers from the elder population in it and for those out there that are a
little isolated or just feel like getting out a little bit you know it doesn't
have to be a reason you could just want to do it and do it maybe you're in
you feel in good shape you feel like you've got good flexibility in some of
those things well it could always be a little better and you know well it's great
to work out at home and get those stretches in and everything it's there's
something about being in the gym I I've been working out my dad being an athlete
I've been working out since I was about seven eight years old and I've done the
almost the same routine my whole life now at different times of my life I
worked out at gyms for the most part of worked out alone or what my dad or my
best friend or something like that at a home gym I didn't realize how much I
missed being out at the gym and just running into people and talking to them
and everything let alone with this kind of almost unsaid mutual kind of a
agreement that we all have in these programs or classes of we're all here for
good reasons we're all here to have some fun and hopefully learn something or
get a little more flexible or whatever the class is pertaining to that stuff
gets a little we forget about that stuff if we're not doing it and we're
removed from it a little but just prepping for this talking about it with you
got me thinking about man I kind of get back to the gym a little bit I kind of
missed it it's not because I can't work out at home or any of those things I
can't run into my friends I can't run into people or run into new future friends
yes oh yeah that finally like you hit it right on the spot James like anybody
can work out at home like we have our virtual program to on Tuesdays and
Thursday yeah so we have our virtual programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from
nine to like ten thirty about and it's great because it's at the come in the
comfort of your own home however at the same time your little screens and so
that makes a huge difference and even if we're not doing the virtual program and
you know these exercises and you're doing it at home it's great but to actually
be in a group of fifteen twenty others who are very similar mindset right
these folks they all want to come they all want to do better for themselves
become healthier and so they're here and then there's no judgment like nobody
judges you regardless you might think that everybody's judging you but when you
come into a space it's so safe it's a safe space right everybody wants to do
the same thing everybody's everybody else's cheerleader and so it's really
cool to see all of that and so like we've had different programming throughout
the area and so our current one is at the senior center at the Lowell Center
and Hannah and I run that class together and it's really cool to see the
different folks that are there and the conversations that happen we have
people who have built friendships from strong bodies they coffee groups walking
groups shopping friends like there's so many different things and and folks
that you when you see them together you don't think that they would ever be
friends but you know they they come together and they're like they bond right
away so it's really cool to see that piece of it just because like you said if
you're doing it at home it's great because you are at home and you're
comfortable but you miss that that that connectedness piece to others and I
think that's truly truly important especially for elders because they don't
always get that right as their kids age and and move out of the house it's great
to have one another but I can tell you if I was with my husband 24-7 I wouldn't
be wanting to talk with him all the time so you know it's just nice to get out
and talk to other people and create those friendships and like you said
possibly build new friendships too because it's always great to meet new
people regardless how old you are I appreciate your share that with about your
husband that's hilarious but also it reminds me of my not-and-pop of my
grandparents and when we first moved out here and my papa was a little more
shy whereas my Nana was a little more outgoing but my papa loved bowling so
they joined a bowling league and my Nana joins it with him but my Nana couldn't
care less about bowling she was there to talk to people she wanted to talk to
the shoe person talked to this person and just not a little-own-making friends
and they ended up meeting people who were just two houses away from them and
they didn't even know and lifelong friends and all that and everything and just
from putting themselves out there and trying something different they also were
able to do this in a really safe environment everybody there were judging my
Nana for not necessarily knowing how to bowl my papa could but not so much
hurt so you bring up that that positive environment that welcoming environment
and I don't want to skate past that I think that's a really cool thing to
bring up and a really a gift to give to people when you can do that certainly in
these classes and programs but anytime in life that we can do that for each
other always and always it never goes out of style that is something that is
always going to be cool to do and that's very nice to be able to offer with
something like this I think that is a little more along people's speed too and
hopefully that last thing that maybe pushes you to take the classes knowing
that it's a safe environment everybody's welcome and the cheerleader park can
mean more than we realize oh yeah definitely and I like the how you brought up
it really is at whatever speed right I we always say that you know your body
best and so you know what you can do you know your limitations and so if
we're doing 10 reps and you're only able to do five that is perfectly okay we're
fine with that and then the goal is to eventually get to 10 right and so if you
can eventually get to that piece great if not that's perfectly fine as well as
long as you're moving forward that's all that matters so for example like
yesterday we I was teaching the class and I was just like hey everybody how
is it going do you feel a difference in your body and we just started having
these conversations and some of the ladies they were amazing they're like yeah
but I've noticed my balance is better my coordination I went up from one
pound weights to three pound weights and so it might not seem like a lot but it's
actually huge or they actually went from no weights to one pound like that's
improvement right there regardless of what you see others doing we have people
who do 12 pound weights and I'm going oh my goodness I would never be able to do
that but you know as long as you're moving forward whether it's a centimeter it's
moving forward regardless of how big it is it's all progress it's all progress
Rome was built in a day you know it's all that we want to let people know how
they can be a part of this program how they can learn more about it Kazua just
sending them to the website is that that's way to do it or do you have a
other question you can definitely go to our UW would extend a UW extension wood
county website we have our upcoming programming there but if you can't find
it or if it's a little difficult you are more than welcome to call our extension
office as well the the office for number 715 4218 440 we do have some
upcoming programming nothing is set in stone yet but we're we're in the
working phases we have a class starting at the Nikusa Community Center and then
the Pitzville Community Center which is part of the library those are both
slated to start at the end of September I do want to let people know that
there there is no fee for this but a donation would be nice just to kind of
keep this going space is limited so you have to register even though it's free
you have to register called the extension extension office at the
cell phone at the phone number that I gave it really fills up fast I want to
say our class right now we have a waiting list of about 16 17 people and that
was I think within the first two hours our class filled up because people
know the benefits of strong bodies and how great it is or if they've never
done it if they heard from a friend and so they encourage each other so be
on the lookout for any kind of advertising on our website if you have
Facebook we post it up on Facebook of when the registration opens when it
does open we can definitely give James the heads up so he can share with
everybody as well but yeah we'll definitely let the audience yeah registration
is highly is required and I want to say as soon as registration opens up get
on it because it feels so fast we are speaking with our friend Casua from the
UW Extension Wood County and before I let you go I did want to touch on a
little bit of a cool class you have coming up that I think is really fun
idea and emerging of wonderful worlds of where most people are especially as we
get more more of a tech society and arthritis becomes much much more of a
thing at a much younger age than it ever did before you don't have to do a
deep dive digging to see the numbers of this just talk to anybody like it's
almost like everybody has issues with there are with if not arthritis the
beginnings of it or the fear of it and I think when we talk about arthritis a
lot of people feel like it's well there's nothing they can be done once you
have it you're stuck with it or there's no ease really other than you know
over the traditional over the counter stuff or what have you or anything like
that my mom from a very young age has struggled with arthritis and she has
tried a number of different things and some of it has helped and some of it
really hasn't but one thing that I thought was really unique is the idea of
incorporating Tai Chi with this and I don't know a whole lot but what I do know
of Tai Chi I think oh that's a perfect mix right there you got this program
coming up can you tell us a little about yeah so I am a certified instructor for
Tai Chi from Artha right is in fall prevention I taught a class back in the
spring at the senior center in the Lowell Center it was amazing it was amazing
turnout and that participants had a lot of great feedback about it and so we are
starting another class this fall we are slated to begin at the end of
September again and it will go through until Thanksgiving so kind of end of
November to you have to register for that class it is completely free but you do
have to register and for that registration just be on the lookout at the
Lowell Center everything will be through them so I know that they have their
flyers and all of that coming out soon so just be on the lookout look on their
social media look out anywhere because once that comes out that class fills
up pretty fast as well just because like you said there's so many benefits to
the arthritis piece with combined with Tai Chi I the ladies that were it's a
lot of ladies I encourage the gentlemen to come join us too we had a few and
then things came up but it's a great benefit for everybody just their
balance their mobility the confidence like we do everything Tai Chi such a
very slow moving however it uses the muscles that you don't think you have
you you have those muscles and you do get a little achy every now and then
just because you're using muscles that you typically don't use but but you
know it really boosts your confidence and your mobility your independence and
just to help you with like in case something does happen like oh if I fall what
can I do because it is all about their balance right the shifting your weight
and whatnot so we have a lot of fun with it so come and join us when I get more
of the information as to when registration opens up I'll send it your way
James so that you have that as well even better we'd love to have you back right
before that the registration opens and everything and we could really dive in
because I I don't want to keep it too long but I would love for us in the
audience to be able to dive into how Tai Chi does help with this a little bit
more because I know the little bit that I've read on and I was just I was really
impressed I thought it was really cool and I'm a again I'm a fan of Tai Chi I'm a
fan of a lot of the art and everything so to me this is just a perfect
merging and man you talk about something that so many of our audience is dealing
with in arthritis and and if you're not now you're you're worried that you're
gonna be it's one of the more common things we have things we have in
common and this is a really cool program so we'll probably we're gonna drag you
back you got to come back I will be back that number that you mentioned
earlier about registration I want to get that out there one more time of
both the strong bodies programming if people wanted to call up find out more
or register yeah so if you want to find out more when registration opens feel
free to call the UW Extension Office in Wood County our office number is 7154218440
and that UW Extension dot edu is the website and go there find out more
information as well and find out not just information about these programs
but other programs and other great things going on at extension be sure to
follow them on social media it's a great way to keep up to date all the cool
programs and classes and different things that they are offering at UW Extension
Wood County appreciate just say hi to the team over there for us okay I will
thank you for having me today James thank you and thank you to all of our
friends out there for listening and of course our good friends at Crockett
septic we appreciate your sponsoring grab its report here at WFHR
