Game Changers - Muevete Champion Ana Cardenas
- Mar 16
- 4 min read
Ana has been part of Muévete since the very first day the program opened to the community. Eight years later, she's still here - arriving on time, ready to move, laugh, and support the people dancing alongside her. Her dedication tells a story about what happens when community programs create the kind of connections that last a lifetime.
For Ana, Muévete has been more than a fitness class. It's been a pathway to better health, a social lifeline, and a space where discipline, respect, and dedication create lasting change.
"This program has been a big impact on my life. First it is free and second I am able to meet more ladies with the same goals as me to be more healthy."
That combination - accessible programming and shared purpose - creates the foundation for transformation. When cost isn't a barrier and people are working toward the same goals, showing up becomes easier. Staying becomes possible. Change becomes real.
And for Ana, the change has been profound and measurable.
"This program helped me to improve my health. I lowered my risk of having diabetes and a huge increase on my social life just by doing this program."
Diabetes prevention is no small thing. In communities like Ashland and Cherryland, where access to healthcare can be limited and chronic disease rates run high, free fitness programming that actually reduces disease risk isn't just recreation - it's preventive medicine. It's the kind of upstream intervention that keeps people out of emergency rooms and helps them live longer, healthier lives.
Ana arrived at Muévete eight years ago facing a challenge many participants share: learning to move her body in new ways, to coordinate movement with music, to keep rhythm while building muscle and endurance. It wasn't easy.
"My hardest part was to learn the steps, to have more movement, to coordinate my body to the rhythm of music, but now after all these years I can dance much better."
That progression - from struggling with basic steps to dancing with confidence - takes thousands of hours of showing up. It takes patience to be a beginner, humility to keep trying when things are hard, and commitment to stay even when progress feels slow.
Instructor Angie has watched that journey unfold.
"Ana is that kind of student that is always on time, ready to start and enjoy the class. She is a very nice person with a big heart because - all the time - she is available to help others. She is a good example of a citizen of this community. I am so happy to be part of her journey through all these years."
Eight years of consistency creates something powerful - not just physical transformation, but community bonds that function like family. The people in Muévete show up for each other, support each other through hard days, and celebrate each other's progress. For Ana, those relationships have become essential.
"We have good music, friends that become family, and the best coach in dance!"
The friendships formed through regular movement and shared goals provide something many adults struggle to find: genuine social connection. Ana reports making new friends through the program and experiencing a huge increase in her social life - outcomes that matter deeply for mental health and overall wellbeing, especially for adults navigating isolation or life transitions.
The benefits extend beyond physical health and friendship. Ana describes feeling less stress, more energy, increased confidence, and greater happiness. When asked what she likes most about the program, her answer is simple and comprehensive.
"My favorite part about this program is everything. The whole program beginning through end. And it is one hour, which I enjoy."
That wholehearted embrace - not just tolerating exercise but genuinely enjoying the full hour - speaks to what Muévete has created. It's not a chore. It's not something to endure. It's a highlight of the day, a space of joy and connection and purposeful movement.
Ana also sees a broader community impact.
"This kind of program helps the community to be in better shape and to understand how to socialize with each other. The class is a way to be healthy and they give us more resources."
Programs like Muévete don't just serve individual participants - they strengthen community health infrastructure, create social networks that support residents through challenges, and provide wellness resources that are accessible to everyone regardless of income.
"This program helps us to keep focus with discipline, respect, and dedication to our goals."
Those values - discipline, respect, dedication - show up in how Ana approaches life. The structure and community of the program provide accountability and encouragement that make staying focused possible even when life gets complicated.
Ana believes in Muévete so strongly that she encourages everyone to try it.
"Everyone that attends and starts this class changes their life because it is an amazing program for anyone."
That's the voice of someone who knows that showing up - day after day, year after year - creates the kind of transformation that lasts.
This is what prevention can look like.
Eight years. Thousands of hours of movement. A community of people supporting each other. Measurable health improvements. Reduced disease risk. New friendships. Less stress.
And more joy.
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