The Simon Family JCC has a rich tradition with area basketball going all the way back to when the Virginia Squires (former professional ABA team) used the JCC on Newport Avenue as a practice facility in the early 1970s. The Virginia Squires had some great Hall of Fame legands such as Julius “Dr. J” Erving and George “Iceman” Gervin.

On any basketball practice or game day at the Simon Family JCC, there might be a future star in the making. The evening of Feb. 22, however, they were ALL Stars.

This constantly working engine supplies the blood’s oxygen through the body via vessels and arteries – very similar to a car’s engine moving fluid (gas and oil) throughout the vehicle so it can run.

For someone who lives to be 80 years old with an average heart rate of 80 beats per minute, the heart would beat more than 3.3 billion times! Cardiovascular exercise can help maintain the involuntary muscles of the heart so it can continue with a strong stroke volume to produce the strength necessary to regulate oxygen for life. While a car is taken for a tune up every three months or 3,000 miles to operate properly, cardiovascular exercise should be conducted weekly, if not daily, for the heart/engine to perform at a high level.

So, take a walk, go for a swim, or join a gym to “tune up” your heart “engine” today to ensure a smooth ride traveling through life.

Tom Purcell is Simon Family JCC’s wellness/fitness director. He may be reached at tpurcell@simonfamilyjcc.org.