By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

Zumba may have its roots in Latin America, but the high-powered dance fitness program is coming to Paper Mill Island.

Dancing Kats, instructors from Liverpool’s Pacific Health Club, will present Zumba on the Island at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8. The program is free and open to all ages, but seniors are especially welcome to try Zumba Gold, the lower-impact version of the fitness program geared toward older adults.

Greene Ivy Florist and St. Charbel Monuments, both located in Baldwinsville, will provide bottled water and power bars to keep the dancers energized.

Baldwinsville resident Cindy Clarke, who is helping coordinate the event, has been a Zumba participant for six years, but Zumba was not her first foray into dance.

“I used to line dance all the time,” she recalled.

When line dancing opportunities became harder to find, Clarke had to look elsewhere. She discovered Zumba through her co-workers.

“It’s a great way to lose weight if you’re devoted and stick with it. It’s just a lot of fun,” she said.

Zumba incorporates elements of various Latin dance styles such as merengue, salsa and mambo. Dancers sweat it out to the thumping beats of hip-hop and reggaeton, with hits from the likes of Shakira, Pitbull and Don Omar.

“It is a great exercise,” Clarke said. “I’m 67, so it doesn’t matter your age. It keeps you active, it keeps you going, it’s good for your mind.”

While staying fit is important for people of all ages, exercise rates tend to drop off as the golden years approach. According to the National Institutes of Health, only 30 percent of people between the ages of 45 and 64 keep up with regular physical activity. From age 65 to 74, that number drops to 15 percent, and by the time their mid-80s roll around, only 5 percent of seniors are physically active.

“Even if you haven’t been active previously, it’s important to get started and stay active,” Dr. Richard J. Hodes, director of NIH’s National Institute on Aging, said in the December 2017 issue of the NIH’s newsletter, News in Health. “We know that people want to live independently for as long as they possibly can. By exercising regularly and including more physical activity in their daily routine, older people can preserve their physical function, which is key to doing the everyday things they want to do.”

Exercise helps a person maintain their flexibility, improve their balance, prevent falls and strengthen the heart and lungs.

For Clarke, Zumba has benefited not just her physical health, but her social well-being too. She said she has met a lot of people through Zumba.

“When I had cancer, those people stuck by my side like glue,” she said.

According to the NIH, social isolation can lead to depression and increase the risk of early death. Maintaining friendships and relationships can act as a buffer against stress and illness.

“I wanted to get the seniors involved so they get outside and stay off their remote controls,” Clarke said.

Zumba is the latest of several activities to take place on Paper Mill Island. The village of Baldwinsville and the towns of Lysander and Van Buren host a summer concert series there on Tuesday nights, and a group started by the Baldwinsville First United Methodist Church holds “Church on the Island” throughout the summer.

Clarke said event organizers have invited local leaders to attend Zumba on the Island as well as community members. One notable invitee is Cindy Clarke’s brother, Dick Clarke, who happens to be the mayor of Baldwinsville.

“I’m hoping my brother, the mayor, is going to be there say a few words and maybe shake his booty,” she said.

Above all, Clarke said she is hoping for a strong turnout and good weather.

“I’m hoping we get a good number of people and maybe do it again,” she said. “We’re very psyched about it.”