In this issue:

• Curious Movement and Balance Class

• Fall Prevention, Protection, and Recovery Class

• Movement Snack Spotlight

• Free Articles and Videos

• Soft Trail Stroll Schedule

• About Me

We had a lot of fun at the July session of Curious Movement and Balance Class, even if it was a little hot. Check out all the photos and videos to see for yourself!

Curious Movement and Balance Class will return in October 2026.

Fall Prevention, Protection, and Recovery Class

In the month of September, I will be offering a falls-specific class.

We will touch on fall prevention, but I feel that prevention gets a lot of attention already.

I want to focus on fall protection and fall recovery. How can we fall without getting hurt (much)? How can we get up and recover from a fall? What makes us resilient?

We will use a lot of the falling and getting up activities from the Curious Movement and Balance Class and we will do focused strength and balance training.

Make sure that anyone you know who might be interested is signed up for my newsletter so they don’t miss it!

Movement Snack Spotlight

Each month in 2026, I am spotlighting a special movement snack.

A movement snack is a movement break. Just as a typical snack is a small bit of food, not a meal, a movement snack is a small amount of movement done on its own, not as part of a larger exercise routine or other activity. And I am a big fan!

Several times a day, start moving your shoulders any which way. Take a moment and explore… How far can you move each shoulder in each direction?

You can help yourself remember to move by associating certain movements with certain daily tasks or certain places that you pass by. You can try specific stretches and mobility exercises, like the Apley scratch stretch, scapula wall slides, and thread the needle stretch.

Try it for a month and tell me how it goes. You can put your comments on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram. To catch all the montly movement snacks, read the Movement Snack Spotlight article on my website.

Comment to let me know… Are able to move your shoulders a little bit farther than when you started?.

Free Articles and Videos

On my website you will find free fitness-related articles and videos. In this month’s newsletter, I’m sharing all my movement snack articles and reminding you that it’s not too late to enjoy yoga in the park!

All my videos are available on my YouTube channel. Movement snacks, exercise demos, Quilters Stretches, aerobic follow-alongs, and more.

If you are looking for a simple way to become more active and enjoy the outdoors, the free Soft Trail Stroll series was created for you!

Our walks are typically 1.5 to 2.5 miles long and in the Des Moines metro. We always set a pace that accommodates everyone present. It’s a stroll! No one is left behind.

Details for each route are available by clicking the graphics below.

Optionally, if you are on Facebook, join the conversation in our Soft Trail Stroll Facebook group! This group is useful for discussing the weather forecast and meeting locations. After each stroll, it’s a good place to continue conversations and share photos.