Start fulfilling your New Year’s fitness resolutions at the JCC’s New to the Gym class. The four-class series costs $72 per person for JCC members, and $90 for the rest of the community. It meets on Wednesdays, January 6, 13, 20 and 27, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., and is designed to help you get the most out of the JCC Fitness Center’s vast and often overwhelming space and offerings.
“This is what the New Year is all about,” said New to the Gym teacher and JCC Personal Trainer Denise Joseph. “Everyone wants to get in good shape and get healthy. We’re here to make sure you do it right. The class is like an orientation, but we take it to the next level.”
New to the Gym is not just for new members. Longtime JCC members who haven’t figured out how to make the fitness center work for them, or have settled into a fitness routine that needs freshening up, will also benefit.
With dozens of weight and cardio machines, a walk/run track, multiple workout studios, and more than eighty group fitness classes for kids, adults and seniors, the fitness center can be a tad intimidating without an expert to guide you through it and keep you from getting injured, frustrated or discouraged.
New to the Gym breaks it all down into easily digestible pieces. Here is a look at what will be covered:
Week 1:
Students will learn what all the cardio machines, including the elliptical machines, stair climbers, rowing machines, etc. do and how they work. Students will also get a chance to experiment with the machines. “We’ll start with 30 minutes of cardio and help the students figure out what they should use and why,” Joseph said. Students will also start filling out their personal Training Diary cards to keep track of their progress and ultimately plan their own weekly workout schedule.
Week 2:
Introduction to cardio machines continues, and weight machines will also be discussed and used. “I want everyone to use proper form and get an idea of where to set the weight on the machines,” Joseph said. “Most people set it too high.” Joseph will also introduce students to the indoor walk/run track and the JCC’s assortment of stationary bikes. “People can use those bikes at any time when there isn’t a cycling class,” Joseph said. The JCC’s group fitness classes will also be addressed. “I want to have a discussion about the huge variety of fitness classes,” Joseph said. She is eager to answer inquiries like “What’s Zumba? What’s Muscle Blast? Why should I take these classes? What do they offer?”
Week 3:
Students will learn about and sample free weights, dumbbells, kettle bells, stability balls, bands and more toning, flexibility-building and strengthening tools.
Week 4:
During the last class, students will put all their newfound knowledge together and design their own weekly workout schedules based on their personal fitness goals. Joseph will also lead the class in a series of core-strengthening exercises.
Gym etiquette and rules will also be covered during the class.
To register and for more information, call the Health and Wellness Desk at 502-238-2792 or visit https://jewishlouisville.org/event/new-to-the-gym/2016-01-06/