Lesa Turnquist | Copy Co-Editor

I have been passionate about fitness and health for as long as I can remember. No really… my mom was into those home fitness tapes when I was young, so I was born into a world of Thighs of Steel and ridiculous looking workout clothes. I can’t exactly pinpoint when I decided I wanted to go into fitness and health as a career, but with the experience I’ve had so far, I know this is really what I want to do.

As a part of being a personal trainer and group fitness and instructor, it is important for me to keep up with new and current trends. Some of these trends are useful, but sometimes they are not. Just because it’s on the Internet, doesn’t mean it’s true. On the other hand, there are some really good ideas and scientifically proven trends. Using what I have learned from my exercise science classes here at Buena Vista University (BVU) and from my own experience over the years, I’m going to blog about some of these new and current fitness and health trends by giving you the facts and why I think it’s a BUST or MUST. If you have any fitness or health topic you would like me to blog about, feel free to email me at [email protected] with your topic request.

My topic for this week is a MUST. Even though it’s been around for many years, group fitness training has made its way back into the current fitness trends. According to an article by Ace Fitness, the first organized modern fitness class was around the year 1968 when Dr. Kenneth Cooper introduced the idea of aerobic fitness. From there, group fitness developed into something big, which included help from well-known group fitness instructors, Jacki Sorensen and Richard Simmons.

Group fitness training is a MUST for many reasons. Having a specific time and place for exercise helps increase motivation. You won’t be able to put off exercise or use the excuse “I’ll do it later” because your fitness classmates and instructor won’t be there later. You have to do it NOW. Your motivation will also be increased because you’ll have those fitness classmates and instructor that expect you to be there. I guarantee you if you miss your regular class, they’ll miss you! Then you’ll have to answer to them as to why you weren’t there, and if you don’t have a legit excuse, you’ll wish you would’ve gone and won’t miss a class again.

Along with being motivated to come every time, you’ll also find that you’ll push yourself further and get more out of your workout because of the hard work atmosphere. You’ll commonly find yourself thinking, “If they can do it, I can do it!” which will allow you to reach your goals and get closer to your full potential. You’ll also become a better time manager and increase productivity for other things because you’ll have to plan out your schedule rather than going back to the “I’ll do it later” excuse on other things like homework or other chores.

If you want the chance to experience group fitness on campus at BVU, I will be teaching group fitness classes through the Student Wellness program beginning the week of Sept. 15, which is next week! A variety of fitness classes will be offered Mondays and Wednesdays. All classes will begin in The Wellness Room in the basement of the Fieldhouse across from the locker rooms.

Monday’s schedule: Bootcamp 6:15-7:00 a.m., Cardio Blast 5:15-6:00 p.m., Body Shaping, 7:00-7:30 p.m., Yoga 7:30-8:00 p.m.

Wednesday’s schedule: Bootcamp 6:15-7:00 a.m., Body Shaping 5:15-6:00 p.m., Cardio Blast, 7:00-7:30 p.m., Yoga 7:30-8:00 p.m.

Body Shaping: Shape your body with this full body strength workout for all fitness levels. Class design will vary in order to keep your body guessing. Learn how to use all kinds of equipment including: dumbbells, tubes, and weight room machines.

Bootcamp: Start your day off right with a total body workout that includes a combination of cardio, strength, and agility. Exercises and technique will be given, and then you can choose your pace and modification.

Cardio Blast: Get your cardio in with this calorie-blasting, energizing workout. Many styles of workouts and exercises will be utilized each class to get your heart pumping and your body moving.

Yoga: Come enjoy the basic principles of yoga. Feel complete with a series of poses and stretches in order to develop flexibility, balance, core strength, and relaxation. Feel stress free and relaxed when you leave this class.

So get out there and try group fitness classes! The benefits are endless, and you’ll look forward to working out every week. Look for my blog in a few weeks for a new or current fitness trend.

Graphic by Justice Gage