By the sound of her schedule, it is impossible to tell Shelli Berger, 72, had total knee replacement surgery two years ago.
On Mondays and Fridays, she does Zumba. On Tuesdays, she tap dances. On Wednesdays, she ballroom dances. If there is music playing and a dance to be done, Berger is ready and waiting. Her surgically replaced right knee never misses a beat. “I could dance for hours,” she says. “I never get tired of it.”
Berger started dancing when she was little. Her brother would dance in front of the TV with her. When she married her husband Howard 46 years ago, dancing became one of their favorite activities. Howard is her weekly ballroom dancing partner at the JCC’s Staenberg Center. The two grew up in the ’60s watching American Bandstand. Now, they swing, salsa and jitterbug together. “We just feel great,” Berger says. “We hope it lasts.”
With her two grown children living in Seattle, Berger fills her days with exercise, reading and volunteering. Staying active is her main goal. She volunteers weekly at various places, including the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry and the Saint Louis Zoo. She takes care of her Olivette home and keeps up her garden.
“I have to be on the go,” says Berger, who worked in the medical field for more than 30 years before retiring in 2009. “Even when I volunteer, I need to be busy.” That’s one reason her weeks start and end with Zumba, a fast-paced dance aerobics class at the JCC. “I adore it,” Berger says. “There is a lot of salsa and hip-hop. If you don’t feel good when you get out of that class, I don’t know what will do it for you.”
A tap dancing class, where participants range in age from 64 to 82, allows her another outlet for her love of music and movement. Berger has danced with the same group for 10 years. They are currently working on a routine to Meghan Trainor’s song All About That Bass.
“We work on two or three routines forever,” Berger says. “And we wear costumes. We were the Pink Ladies from Grease once. We were all dressed up and even had blonde ponytails! It was really cute. It is a wonderful group.”
When Berger is not dancing, she also fits in time for core exercises and weights at the gym, as well as step aerobics. Her right knee never gives her any problems. “People who need knee replacement surgery should not put it off,” she says. “Don’t get me wrong, I was a horrible patient and it was very painful. But because I worked really hard on all my exercises before and after surgery, I did really well. I was back doing all my exercises in eight weeks. And I have had no setbacks. My orthopedic surgeon says I am the poster child for knee replacement surgery!”
the routine
On Mondays, I go to this fabulous Zumba class at 8:30 a.m. It lasts until 9:30 a.m., but I don’t move out of my spot. I stay for the 9:30-10:30 a.m. class (also Zumba). I just adore it! On Tuesdays, I go to tap class at night. I’m not a great dancer, but I have tap-danced with the same women for 10 years. On Wednesday mornings, I do all core exercises and weights. Then I go ballroom dancing with my husband at night for an hour. Thursday, I do step aerobics. And Friday, I do Zumba for two hours in the morning again.