In this issue:

• Curious Movement and Balance Class

• Movement Snack Spotlight

• Free Articles and Videos

• Soft Trail Stroll Schedule

• About Me

This month the Curious Movement and Balance Class will be in West Des Moines at Raccoon River Park

We explore movement and balance using standing, walking, stepping, jumping, crouching, reaching, pulling, and climbing. All class activities have options to make them easier or harder. Do as much or as little as is right for you.

Come gain movement confidence, expand movement possibilities, and improve balance. The only prerequisite is that you can walk across a grassy space.

Come with curiosity and willingness to discover what you can do.

Location: Raccoon River Park Playground (Meet by the BCycle Station on the south edge of the parking lot.)

Dates: July 9, 16, 23, 30

Time: 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Cost: $45.00 for the series or $12.00 for a single class

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!

Keep a ball on your desk or table and bounce it against the wall whenever you need a mental break. Stand up and bounce it against the floor. Toss it from hand to hand. Find someone else who needs a movement snack and toss it back and forth.

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.

Keep moving!

Free Articles and Videos

On my website you will find free fitness-related articles and videos. In this month’s newsletter, I’m highlighting a few topics I have been thinking about lately.

I recently met a guy and his daughter mountain biking at one of our local trails. They had just moved here and I was trying to tell them all the places they could look for information. Then I came home and wrote “How Can You Mountain Bike in Iowa?”

I recently tripped and fell and did not get injured. The concept of fall prevention gets a lot of press, but I think fall protection and fall recovery are just as important. Please take a look at “Strength Training for Fall Prevention, Protection, and Recovery.”

I keep seeing target heart rate ranges and maximum heart rates based on age being posted on social media. I have strong feelings about this. If you’re curious, check out “Your Max Heart Rate Doesn’t Matter.“

All my videos are available on my YouTube channel. 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.