Not long ago Cindy Schulze sat in rush-hour traffic with the rest of the career-driven Phoenicians each morning, until one day she decided enough was enough. "You get sucked into a routine working for a large company," she said. "It was time to make a change." Schulze retired from her sales and marketing career and started Ahwatukee Jazzercise Dec. 4, a program she hopes will find its niche in Ahwatukee Foothills by targeting older members of the community. "Jazzercise Lite offers something to a growing aging population," she said. "It's never too late. Exercise is proven to reverse the aging process and it is really important to find what you love and get out there and do it." Each 60-minute Jazzercise Lite class includes the latest music, a warm-up, high-energy aerobic routines, muscle toning and cool-down stretching segment. "The music is all the latest stuff," Schulze said. "Every time I get a new CD I can't believe I just heard it on the radio and now I have a routine for it." Jazzercise also incorporates elements of Pilates, yoga, dance, kickboxing and resistance training to create programs specific to the aging baby boom population, new mothers and exercise rookies. "It's low intensity, but if you want to make it higher I show that too," Schulze said. "But you don't have to do that to get a good workout. That's the beauty of it." She has a twin sister who has been teaching Jazzercise classes in Oro Valley for seven years. It is her sister that inspired her to begin teaching. "She was never a career person, but is very, very successful," Shulze said. "Her students love her, they adore her. She is my mentor and my goal is to be as good as her." Shulze offers Jazzercise Lite classes Monday through Friday at Center Point Dance Studio and Mountain Park Community Church. The locations were purposely chosen to accommodate all areas of Ahwatukee Foothills. "Honestly, I was surprised there were no classes in Ahwatukee," Shulze said. "When I retired I wanted to find something to do to keep in the neighborhood." Jazzercise was originally founded by Judi Sheppard Missett in 1969. Today, 7,200 instructors teach more than 32,000 classes weekly in 32 countries across the world. Corinne Frayer can be reached at (480) 898-7917 or cfrayer@aztrib.com.
Loop 202 - Jim Jochim Interview read more
PARC Treasurer Jim Jochim sits down with Allison Hurtado to discuss the Phoenix Loop 202 project at the Ahwatukee Foothills News office on Monday, May 13, 2013.
