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See how Active For Life Fitness has been recognized in Ohio as one of the best exercise programs for seniors!
Seated Tap Dancing Helps Seniors with Dementia
Brain & Life
In April, Debra Chew was visiting her 80-year-old mother, Jacqueline Castro, at an assisted living facility outside Cleveland. As she sat with her mom, who has vascular dementia, an aide popped her head in the room to notify Castro that a tap dancing class was about to begin. Chew recalls thinking, “Tap dancing? My mom has dementia and two knees that are bone on bone, and she's tap dancing?”
Local woman is sparking new life in seniors by helping them move and stay fit through seated tap dance classes
News Channel 5 Cleveland
AVON LAKE, Ohio — There’s a unique sound that fills the rooms and halls inside the Independence Senior Living Center in Avon Lake and it’s become the one of things keeping Pat Rust upbeat and full of life.
Lorain County native creates tap dance shoe for seniors and those with special needs
The Morning Journal
Lorain County native Melissa Renner strives to provide health and fitness to her community, but with a particular focus in geriatrics.
Renner, a fitness practitioner, recently developed a patent pending tap shoe cover designed specifically for seniors and people with special needs.
The tap shoe cover is made of silicon rubber, and with the help of a zipper fits, over a regular or orthopedic shoe.
Unique tap dance helps keep seniors "Active for Life"
Spectrum News 1
AVON LAKE, Ohio — Active for Life founder Melissa Renner has a passion for keeping senior citizens on the move, even if it’s while they’re sitting down. Her weekly seated tap classes do more than work the bodies of the senior citizens at Independence Village at Avon Lake.
Active For Life music programs helping Alzheimer’s and dementia patients dance and sing again
Cleveland.com
“We work a lot with the elderly and individuals with degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Elyria native Renner, who now calls Westlake home. “It’s seated dance, that way individuals in wheelchairs who have cognitive or physical disabilities can participate.”
Active For Life’s programs include seated tap classes, rhythm classes and sing-alongs. For the former, Renner said participants wear a special tap cover that goes over their shoes.
Power of Healing: How a dance class is helping memory care patients
WKYC
Music is seemingly sparking memories in a group of special dance students.
More Stories
Health instructor finds a new way to ‘tap’ into healthy living
West Life News
Renner, owner of Active for Life Fitness, designed a pair of shoe covers that give elderly and disabled people a chance to dance again. The shoes allow the user to easily slip them on and off..
Shoe Allows Opportunity to Tap Dance Seated
Provider Magazine
Dancing can be therapeutic at any age. But for people living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other degenerative diseases and reduced cognitive function, dancing is in fact therapy.
Melissa Renner Invents New Ways To Practice Dance
Cleveland Magazine
The founder of Active For Life Fitness shares how a shoe cover she's created can make tap dancing more accessible.
Westlake resident invents special tap shoe covers for seniors
Cleveland.com
A Westlake fitness instructor has tapped into a specialty shoe cover market just for seniors who still want to get their boogie on, even if they can’t get up and dance anymore.
Better Living After 50: Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond Magazine
Article
Tapped In: A New Shoe Move
Tap Dance for Special Populations
Aging Gracefully TV
As the Founder of Active For Life Fitness, Melissa brings physical fitness opportunities for populations that might otherwise be neglected.
