Miami Herald: Instructor's mix of dance, fun makes for "Golden Workout"

She tried different aerobics classes, but they were usually too strenuous -- and never any fun.

Then, about nine years ago, she found Sandi Morais.

Since then, she has been exercising regularly with Morais, and says she feels much healthier.

``I have such a good time, and when you have fun, you don't hesitate to keep coming back,'' Guillen said.

The Jamaican-born Morais, who has been teaching aerobics for 18 years, has many students who have been exercising with her for 11 years. She tries to keep her workouts enjoyable by incorporating lots of dancing, especially Caribbean styles.

And if there's a new dance craze, she brings the music to class and teaches everyone the steps.

In addition to dancing, Morais emphasizes stretching to reduce the strain on muscles and to prevent injury.

``I used to take aerobics classes and hurt all the time, but now I never hurt because of all the stretching,'' Guillen said. ``You don't have to go through a strenuous routine in order to get the benefits of exercise.''

Morais' regular class of about 25 consists of students ranging in age from preteens to mid-70s.

Some women bring their daughters along. Another brings her husband, who is one of two men in the group.

Many have been working out together for years and have formed close friendships. They often get together on the weekends for dinner -- always eating healthy, of course.

``I enjoy the aerobics, and the people are great. It gets you sweating just enough to get rid of the stress from the office,'' said Ron Sperry, who's been coming with his wife to the class for almost a year.

Morais recently produced a workout video called The Golden Workout, which targets women older than 40.

Nine of the women in the class, including Guillen, are featured in the video.

``I have noticed that a lot of the videos cater to the young crowd, and I look at my ladies that have been with me for nine years and they're in such good shape and full of life,'' Morais said.

Philip Michael Thomas, of Miami Vice fame, did the music and co-produced the video. He is a longtime friend of Morais.

Their next project is a music video for Thomas' song Hot Sex-z Lady, which will feature a line dance with Morais' class.

Thomas and Morais have also worked together on a musical called Sacha and the Magic Cookie Maker, which tells the story of a young girl's journey through the Forest of Imagination in search of Magic Cookie Land.

The musical premiered at the Ft. Lauderdale Children's Theatre last January. It will return to South Florida in December, when it will be performed at the Unity Church in Hollywood.

``The message of the musical is to not give up on your dreams,'' said Morais, who lives in the Kendall area. ``You can overcome obstacles if you believe that you can. Love is the magic.''

Morais had previously worked with children for a WLRN-PBS 17 TV show called Reggaemuffins, a health and fitness show for youngsters, which aired in the mid-1990s.

She also writes a monthly column called Positive Vibrations for Caribbean Contact in which she tells inspiring stories about people who have overcome adversities.

She is compiling these positive interviews into a book.