Group Fitness

You might ask, why are there no posts recently? I've been doing other sorts of writing rather than blogging, which is to help create an SU Crew newsletter. While this may not sound like very exciting news, I am certainly excited to see it debut. We have articles from our coaches, captains, team members, and alumni as well as a ton of photos of our fall season.

As soon as it is ready for print, you will find it right here!


Over the break, I have been working on my own fitness and can't help but wonder what the members of our crew are up to. I find that I am best motivated when I am working out with others or when I know that I need to meet certain expectations.

In November, I started taking "Body Pump" classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with rowers from the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association. It is a weight-based group fitness program designed to improve strength and endurance in major muscle groups. Since we are unable to row during the icy winter months, I was looking for another group fitness class that would keep me motivated and be fun.

Our trainer Maria has been pushing us a little harder each class, working with medium and heavy free weights, bars, resistance bands, step benches, exercise balls, slo mo balls, and BOSU trainers. There is always a new exercise to learn!

It has also been interesting being a part of a group fitness class with only rowers. Having completed a similar program 2 years ago, I noticed that the coordination required for the class can help rowers become more intuitive on the water. This seems to apply to rate changes and commands from coaches or coxswains. Participating in a fitness routine in the off season can do wonders for balance, control, and endurance later on.

Since this class is only twice a week, I wanted to explore my other options. I came across a Zumba class. It is a fusion of Latin and international music that focus on a few simple dance like moves in each song. I am no dancer - I didn't make it through my first year of dance class as a kindergartner.

I felt a little out of place at my first class, as it seemed like so many of the participants already knew each other. They made a big deal out of my being new, but were reassuring. As soon as the class started, it had a different style than I had been used to. In graduate school I frequented 90 minute Step & Sculpt classes and 60 minute BOSU classes that were very choreographed. The difference between the classes is that there is very little verbal cuing in Zumba. There are hand signals, but you need to really pay attention to your instructor or others in the class to get the moves.

Without previous aerobic class experience, I think that I would have been totally out of my league. Having two months experience under my belt, I am feeling so much more comfortable with the steps. I really look forward to the class because it is high energy, always changing, and I feel like I get a great workout.

So my question for you is:
What have you been up to and what is on your playlist?