Fit to Print Volume 25 Issue 4 December 2016

S t a f f Pe r s p e c t i v e by Victoria Calderone No, I’m Not A Marathoner How To Find The Right Workout for YOU! mother insisted I would love the classes once I got the hang of it. Easy for her to say. I started in the spin room; it was dark, and no one could see me, so I felt comfortable and safe. I never realized how challenging spin classes could be! I left my ﬁrst class drenched in sweat, half-amazed that I had made it through the whole class and the other half in disbelief that an instructor on a bicycle just kicked my butt. I thought I was in good shape! Victoria leads a class Pick-Up Sticks: (L-R) Victoria, Cindy Rodgers and Roseann Frasson M arathon running is not for everyone. Not to say that I won't try to run a half-marathon at some point in my life, but I know that running doesn't give me the pure joy and “runner's high” that other activities do. You may have heard someone say they don't like to work out. My answer to them always is: You haven't found the right kind of activity. I started ﬁgure skating lessons at six years old. By the time I was eight, I was entering competitions. Figure skating was not just a part of my life, it was my whole life. I was skating six days a week, sometimes twice a day, taking ballet classes, working with a personal trainer, and going to physical therapy to treat injuries. All of that training and care adds up ﬁnancially. The cost of a “celebrity” ﬁgure skating trainer would make an arm and a leg seem reasonable. So, my mother suggested I start taking some classes at Fitness Incentive to supplement the personal training sessions. I signed up when I was 16 years old. At that time in my life, I had never been to a gym before. The thought of taking group classes was mildly terrifying. But my 12 That was when I ﬁrst realized that a part of training is challenging your muscles in different ways. I was so used to skating every day that the muscles I used on the spin bike were virtual ly untrained. I was also challenged on a cardiovascular level. Spinning requires more stamina over the course of a 45minute class, whereas a skating program is intense activity for up to four minutes at a time, the length of a program. So spinning was not only a great way to challenge different muscle groups, I was working on stamina in a different way that was beneﬁcial to my training on the ice. When I ﬁnally mustered up enough courage to take a step class, little did I know, the owner of the gym would be my instructor. Though I felt like I was doing everything backwards and I was all over the place, Cor was a wonderfully motivating instructor. She is just as energetic and motivating in her classes today as she was when I met her over ten years ago. She will go out of her way to learn your name (or she will give you a funny nickname until she does) and help you achieve the best workout possible. She immediately inspired me. I never thought I would become an instructor, but two years later that's exactly what happened. I've been teaching at Fitness Incentive ever since. For a lot of people, walking into that big aerobic room is daunting, and I can understand that, but there is nothing to fear. Every person who is experienced at something once started as a beginner. If I had a video of the ﬁrst time I attempted rebounding, you would get your abdominal workout for the day out of pure laughter. But that didn't stop me from going back to class again. That's a part of learning. It's about being able to laugh and don't take yourself too Holidays 2016 FIT to Print seriously. You shouldn't dread going to the gym. There's so much to try! Which brings me back to rebounding. Rebounding is an incredible workout using mini-trampolines – it's low impact, high cardio, and so much fun! Sure, there's a bit of a learning curve, it's all about timing. But just like riding a bike, once you get the hang of it your body will reap the beneﬁts. If you are afraid to take a class because you feel ashamed or embarrassed because you're not a “dancer” or you've never taken kickboxing before, the instructors are here to help YOU! Do not feel embarrassed to walk up to us at the beginning of class and tell us you're new, or you've never done the class before. Sometimes the instructor will ask if anyone is new before starting class, but if not, don't be afraid to speak up. It's the instructor's job to make sure everyone in the class is getting the best workout possible. If that means I'm going to check on you every once in a while, to provide modiﬁcations, it is my pleasure to do so. The same concept holds true in the Yoga and Pilates studio. I honestly did not like my ﬁrst Yoga class. But instead of giving up, I went and tried another class. As it turns out, I liked the pace of the second class better, and from there, I was able to try different types of Yoga classes and explore my practice. On days when I need pure relaxation and a break, I'll take a restorative Yoga class. If I am looking for an excellent core workout, a Pilates class is perfect. Exercise is about variety and balance. If you're doing the same thing every day, you're more likely to get bored and give up. Keep it fresh and give those muscles a challenge. If you need a break, look for stretching and restorative classes. Fitness Incentive has it all! So give some of those group exercise classes a try! Pick up those bright green Pound sticks and drum like no one's watching! Jump into a Dance class and shake it like you're on the dance ﬂoor! Exercising should be about having fun, working up a sweat, and feeling good about yourself. Victoria Calderone is a Certiﬁed Group Exercise Instructor at Fitness Incentive

Fit to Print Volume 25 Issue 4 December 2016 | Page 12