Grandmother Dances Her Way to Good Health

Reprinted from the Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch

Davidsonville resident Rochelle Drucker will be 70 in July, but still manages to attend Zumba classes four times a week.

    

Rochelle Drucker may be turning 70 years old in July, but that hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her love of dance though a cardio workout calledZumba.

The Davidsonville resident will be “70 years young” in July, and still manages to attend Zumba class at 24 Hour Fitness in Annapolis four times a week. Drucker said that besides being a lot of fun, the workouts have helped to keep her in top shape.

“What was happening was I could see the toning almost immediately,” Drucker said. “You start to get smaller. I was looking better, and I was feeling better. I had a lot of energy too.”

Drucker said she first discovered dancing to stay fit when she was in her 30s. Her children were growing up and she was becoming stressed. That’s when a co-worker recommended aerobic dancing.

“I didn’t know anything about it, but I love to dance,” Drucker said. “At the time it was the early '80s and someone decided that aerobics was an excellent way to build up your heart and lungs.”

Despite changing gyms a few times, Drucker has stuck with aerobic dancing since the 1980s. Even now that she has two grandchildren, Drucker still makes physical fitness a priority.

When she isn’t attending Zumba, Drucker works out on a stationary bike in her home. She said that not only does her physical shape make her feel good, it has also improved her life quality. She is able to keep up with her grandsons and stay active throughout the day.

“I have the energy I need when I need it,” Drucker said. “A lot of older people I know can hardly walk, and I am able to run around and do jumping jacks.”

Drucker said she wouldn’t be in the physical shape she is in now if she hadn’t started early. But she insists that anyone who makes the decision they want to be healthy can do so—if they stick with it.

“Physical fitness is a never ending journey,” Drucker said. “You can’t say ‘I am physically fit now and I am done.’ Find something you like and stick with it... I want to get people out there moving because it really is a lot of fun.”