Health & Wellness
I take care of my body not because I have to, but because I want to. Spring Ridge Academy has taught me that.
-SRA Student
Many of the young women entering SRA struggle with issues related to depression, anxiety, and body image. The social and emotional stress these young women experience in addition to unhealthy choices in diet and physical activity take a significant toll on their overall health. Addressing these concerns requires a knowledgeable approach to working with female adolescents and issues related to emotional and physical health. Our program is designed to allow students to integrate and maintain healthy life choices. Through a combination of yoga, cardiovascular exercise and strength training SRA students learn to reconnect with their bodies and appropriately manage their health, fitness and weight.
Each student attends the Physical Conditioning class prior to the academic day. This class combines Hatha yoga practice, focusing on waking up the body with gentle stretches, core strengthening exercises drawn from the Pilates tradition, and cardiovascular training at the track. Students learn the discipline and rewards of starting each day with exercise, as well as how to incorporate healthy exercise routines into their lives back at home.
In addition to the Pysical Conditioning class each student is required to participate in a dance and yoga course. These courses assist the student to continue to strengthen her connection with her body and incorporate balance and health into daily life.
Yoga and Dance
This course combines hatha yoga and modern dance technique to teach students how to incorporate physical fitness and balance into their lives. Through hatha yoga students build core strength and gain flexibility. They learn to respect their bodies as they become stronger and more physically capable. Yoga teaches students how to slow down, be in the moment and most importantly, how to relax. Through Ballet and modern dance technique students gain balance and muscular control and learn how to hold their bodies with correct alignment. Dance also serves as an excellent emotional outlet and as an avenue for self expression. As students build physical confidence, they learn healthy outlets for reducing stress and tension in their daily lives.
Expressive Movement
This course is designed for students who have had little or no dance background. Students will have the opportunity to explore and practice the principles of dance technique, working toward developing awareness, freedom and control in the use of the body as an instrument of expression. Modern, African and improvisational dance styles will be introduced and practiced. Through the study and practice of these movements, students will develop an awareness and response to music and rhythm in dance, physical control of the body and proficiency in the practice of simple center-floor and across the floor movement patterns.