DECEMBER 2013
SUNRAYS | 29
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
FITNESS
Just listening to Ann Gar-
rard reel off her to-do list
can be exhausting. The
76-year-old Sun City resi-
dent teaches art classes,
conducts travel programs,
and gives book reviews for
Senior University; she cri-
tiques art with the Cen-
tral Texas Pastel Society;
she’s a charter member of
the Sun City Visual Arts
Club, where she teaches
Chinese Brush Painting;
she’s a member of the Sun
City nature club; she’s a
regular at her book club
meetings; she’s a member
of the Alternative Heal-
ing and Wellness Club,
where three days a week
she helps lead Qigong, an
ancient Chinese healing
art involving meditation
and movement; she walks
three miles twice a week;
she is a committed mem-
ber of Seeds of Strength, a
women’s giving organiza-
tion serving Williamson County; she’s active in the Georgetown Symphony
Society; and she rarely misses a theatre performance at Southwestern
University, the Palace Theatre, or Austin Playhouse.
And there’s more. Because it takes a lot of strength and stamina for both
body and brain to stay so busy, Ann is dedicated to her twice weekly workouts
with Personal Trainer John Rutan at the Sun City Texas Fitness Center.
The sessions, which alternate between strength training and endurance,
bolster back and abdominal muscles and also tackle problems with spinal
stenosis and the resulting sciatica. Strong arms and legs allow her to travel
with ease, climbing stairs and freely lifting her carry-on luggage into the
overhead bin, a task that once belonged to her late husband. “It’s embar-
rassing when you have to ask someone for help,” says Ann, who has lost 20
pounds in the four years she’s worked with John.
“If I didn’t have the appointment with John every week I would tend not to
do it. Something else would come up,” says Ann, laughing. The Fort Worth
native is a former teacher and mother of six who moved to Sun City in 1997.
“So for all the people who say they don’t have time to spend in the fitness
center, Ann should be an inspiration,” says John. “Ann has one of the busiest
schedules in Sun City. She has traveled the world and works hard to stay
in shape so she can continue to do all the things she loves to do.
“Because of her active lifestyle, she has endured some bumps and bruises
along the way,” he adds, “but we work through them and she never quits.”
FREE Equipment
Demonstration
2nd Wednesday, 2 p.m.
Join a certified personal trainer for
an inside look at a piece of fitness
equipment, including proper set-up
and how to use it most effectively.
December 11 | Texas Drive
Hip Abduction Machine
Group Fitness Tutorial
Monday, December 9,
10 a.m., Cowan Creek
Whitney Alex-
ander, Sun City
Texas Group Fit-
ness Coordinator,
will answer your
questions about
Group Fitness classes. If you want
more information about the classes
offered, join us at 10 a.m. in the
Cowan Creek Amenity Center on
Monday, December 9.
December Group
Fitness All Access Pass
Unlimited Group Fitness
Classes for only $55!
Purchase your December All Access
Pass and join us for any class all
month. This great deal is good for
any of the 100-plus classes on our
group fitness schedule each week,
with the exception of Series Class-
es. Enjoy Pilates, Cardio, Cycling,
Aqua, Yoga, Tai Chi andmore! Only
$55. Expires 12-31-13. Nontransfer-
able. No refunds.
Rates for Personal
Training Sessions
1/2 Hour................................. $30
One Hour. ............................. $45
5 - 1/2 Hour. .........................$115
5 - One Hour....................... $200
Questions? Email john.rutan@
sctexas.org or visit our website.
Athlete of the Month
By Lynda Dufour
Ann Garrard
Personal Trainer: John Rutan
