A local organization is teaming up with the city of Harlingen to provide free exercise classes to promote health and wellness to the public.
Tu Salud Si Cuenta, led by UT Health RGV, offers multiple exercise classes — such as zumba, pickleball and pilates — five days a week.
Sandra Quiroz travels from Los Fresnos to Harlingen every day of the week to take advantage of a free chair exercise class.
Before joining, she said she hadn’t worked out in years.
“I didn’t exercise at all even though my doctor told me ‘you need to start walking or some type of exercise,’” Quiroz said. “And I enjoy it a lot. I can’t wait to tell her that I’m already exercising.”
The organization has free classes all across the Valley to address high rates of obesity and diabetes.
“It’s about today to start doing something better for yourself,” community health worker Brenda Araneda said. “Obviously some of us have problems with our joints, and we always say ‘I can’t exercise because my hip or my knee hurts.’ But {with} chair exercise, you’re sitting down and moving your body. The first goal is asking, ‘how can I move my body.’”
Araneda organizes the classes in Harlingen, and said they’re for people who don’t usually work out.
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