October 23, 2018 | UHCL Staff
The Clear Lake Association of Senior Programs began its 2018 speaker series in September with a lecture on the relationship between exercise and nutrition for health, presented by Associate Professor of Exercise and Health Sciences William Amonette. On Nov. 1, Amonette will deliver the second part of that presentation, focusing on the benefits of exercise to overall health in senior citizens, from 5:30-7 p.m. in University of Houston-Clear Lake’s new Exercise and Nutritional Health Institute.
The presentation is scheduled to coincide with ENHI’s Grand Opening, in which the community is invited to tour the three labs designated for ENHI research. “Dr. Amonette thought it would be a great way to introduce the university’s new institute to see firsthand the benefits of exercise to the people in this age group,” said Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships Dwayne Busby. “His first lecture was extremely well attended, so people are very interested. Everyone will have the opportunity to see demonstrations of the leading-edge equipment in the labs.”
“I have been honored to speak at CLASP for the past three years, Amonette said. “Each time, it was the highlight of my year. I sincerely appreciate the community they have built and I am grateful for the way they have welcomed me into their group.”
Amonette said he would take this opportunity to stress the importance of exercise, physical activity and nutrition throughout all stages of life. “As we age, it is even more critical because we are so close to the minimal amounts of strength, power, and metabolic capacity needed to complete our normal activities of daily living – small losses can result in tremendous impacts on our quality of life,” he explained. “Exercise and nutrition can create a buffer between the need for assistance and functional independence.”
Amonette said the aging population would benefit profoundly and directly from the institute's programs. “I’m excited for the potential impact that our programs and science can have on the aging Clear Lake community, but I believe our students will benefit as much as anyone,” he continued. “I love that they will gain experiential learning opportunities in research and personal training, but I also know there is so much wisdom to be gained from their interaction with this community. I am excited to learn from our participants and to watch our students build relationships with a special group of people from different generations.”
“We are trying to be as diverse as possible in the topics we choose for CLASP lectures,” Busby said. “We’re trying to broaden our reach. We think including this in our lecture series will accomplish that.”
For more information about CLASP, visit www.uhcl.edu/academics/extended/clasp.
