well as other first-aid procedures essential for anyone teaching

well as other first-aid procedures essential for anyone teaching vigorous exercise. Instructors constantly monitor the heart rate of their students and advise them to check with a physician before beginning an aerobics class. Heart rates are taken after vigorous workouts to determine the working heart rate, and after cooling down to determine recovery heart rate.

A typical class taught by Aileen or Roseanne will include five minutes of stretching and flexibility exercises to warm up the body, a sit-up routine and another warm-up dance to music. Then follows thirty minutes of aerobic dances, a five-minute floor exercise routine to music and ten minutes of cool-down or stretching exercises.

Music that is used is selected by the area manager of "Aerobic. Inc.," Betsy Perkins. who also choreographs the routines. Music ranges from current top 40 numbers, present and past rock-and-roll favorites to popular ballads.

This week, to help a worthy cause, and to draw attention to the cardiovascular benefits of aerobic dance, local dancers are collecting sponsor pledges for the "dance for heart" contest. Each participant will dance in classes this week and next at a monetary perhour pledge. Interested sponsors can see Aileen. Roseanne. or any class member. The "Dance for Heart" promotion is sponsored by the Virginia Heart Association.

Aileen feels that the benefits of aerobic dance include much more than cardiovascular conditioning and increased muscle lone. “We have women who have never exercised and now feel so much better, women who feel awkward and want to improve their poise, women who want to tone up after having babies. I like to think that our students leave here with a new sense of selfrespect. We're open to anyone - old or young, fit or flabby - anyone who wants to see what exercise can do."