Cooley Dickinson Wellness and Sports Performance Center

07/22/2024

Hadley resident Katie Day had total shoulder replacement surgery at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in 2018. After six weeks in a sling and six months of physical therapy, Katie was healed, pain-free, and discharged from her outpatient physical therapy program.

"PT was great, but I was like, 'what's next?'" she remembered thinking.

Katie was contacted by the Wellness & Sports Performance Center and scheduled a consultation with Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Jared Bean.

Six years and more than 500 classes later, Katie is one of the longest running WSPC clients. She attends the adult fitness class three times a week.

Katie loves her fitness classmates, the trainers and most importantly, how she is feeling.

"At age 62, I've never felt better. I am stronger, and more coordinated and confident! The classes changed how I treat my body, and it's one of the most important things I do in my week. There's great music; we laugh. We have a ball."

It has been an absolute pleasure having Katie in class every week for the past six years. She is truly an inspiration to all current and future Wellness & Sports Performance Center participants!

07/01/2022

2 to 3 sets

Start with 8-10 reps of first movement. When you can comfortably accomplish 12-15 reps with good technique move to 8-10 reps of progression and advance accordingly.

Bridge/SL Bridge:
Engage your abdominal muscles
Press through your heel(s) & squeeze your butt up keeping core engaged
Return to start position

Fire Hydrant
Start in a quadruped position with your wrists stacked directly under your shoulders and hips over your knees.
Keep your belly button drawn in toward your spine, back flat, and hips square and your right leg bent at 90 degrees. Lift your leg out to your right side, stopping at hip height.
Return to start.

Standing Hip Abduction
Stand with your legs hip width apart and have a table or chair next to you for stability.
Perform an abdominal draw in to engage your core.
Keep your knee straight, toes pointed and kick your leg out to the side of your body slowly.
Make sure you keep your upper body and back straight during the exercise
Return to starting position.

Supported Step Back
Get into a position incorporating soft knees and soft hips. This means relaxing these joints as you stand comfortably.
With feet hip width apart, step your foot back while at the same time bending at the hips.
Without putting any pressure on the back foot, push through the heel of the standing leg and squeeze your butt forward. Returning to the starting position with both feet touching the ground.

Single Leg RDL:
Get into a position incorporating soft knees and soft hips. This means relaxing these joints as you stand comfortably.
Extend both arms out as you reach forward. At the same time, drive your hips back. Your chest should be facing toward the ground and your elevated leg should be straightened out, extending back.
Your body should be in a straight line and hips are square.
Once your repetition is done, drive your knee and hips forward. Return to a standing position with both feet touching the ground and your arms at your sides.

06/24/2022

06/17/2022

Hello to our active senior community. The best time to learn how to get off the ground is not when you find yourself there after a fall. We have put together this video to help you whether you feel comfortable working from the ground up or want to learn while still standing. In any case, the day to start practicing is now! Go forth!

06/10/2022

Receiving this card was a strong reminder of why we coach. As a senior in college, Lily needed a safe environment to exercise in order to obtain PE credits for school. She took our classes, asked many questions, worked hard and became an amazing addition to our gym family. We miss her already.

06/03/2022

STOP lifting with your LEGS and NOT your BACK! Well, kind of. Do you get knee pain or low back pain when lifting things off the ground? This video will help clear up some misinterpretations of this common saying.

Want us to cover a movement or exercise you commonly have pain with? Leave us a comment below. ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

05/27/2022

Calling all adults (we understand this is a flexible term)- come workout with us. First class is free and you can start making workout buddies almost immediately! Classes run every evening and can be modified for any level of fitness! Come as you are and we'll see you soon!

05/20/2022

Tis the season for gardening, and with it comes the expectation of low back strains. But no more. Today we will teach you why putting a little less awareness on the weeds and a little more on your body positioning can keep you strain-free all season.

05/14/2022

Are you an athlete? Are you training to improve your sport performance? That's great.
Hello we're the Cooley Wellness and Sports Performance Center and we made this class with you in mind. And the first time you check it out, it's free.
So that's a bonus.
So now that you have no reason to NOT come, we'll see you either Wednesday or Friday @ 4pm. Just call ahead or sign up online. Link in the bio.

05/13/2022

Are you an athlete? Are you training to improve your sport performance? That's great. Hello, we're Cooley Wellness and Sports Performance, we made this class with you in mind. And the first time you check it out, it's free.
So that's a bonus.
So now that you have no reason to NOT come, we'll see you either Wednesday or Friday @ 4pm. Just call ahead of time or sign up online. Link in the bio.