Marquette, Michigan – April 23, 2014 – I added some group fitness classes to my workout routine this month.
I started out slow at the beginning of the year with one-on-one personal training that helped me create a foundation of correct form and confidence to build my workout routine on. The training and feedback I received prepared me (physically and mentally) to develop a routine that will continuously grow with my changing strength and attitude.
This week I went to my third BodyFlow class. BodyFlow is a group fitness class designed for flexibility and strength, and is one of the Les Mills programs offered by Synergy Fitness in Marquette. It’s a low intensity exercise – a combination of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates. I’m not very good at it yet, but I’m getting better with each class. Even if I can’t hold each pose, I’m still trying and at the end of the class, my body feels stretched and I feel calm. My balance and flexibility are improving each week.
The class starts out with Tai Chi moves to help get your body moving. The new classes just launched on April 12, so the routine is pretty much new to everyone. That makes being new to the class and relatively uncoordinated a little easier. We started with a sword dance and even though some of the weight shifting and transitions were uncomfortable on my ankle, I had fun slowly slicing my imaginary sword through the air.
After the Tai Chi portion, Yoga and Pilates sequences begin. I’m not very coordinated to begin with (that could be why I keep breaking bones), so this portion of the class is really challenging for me. There’s a lot of flexibility and balance work done during these sequences.
After sweating it out during the Yoga and Pilates tracks, the last 10 minutes of class is meditation. The music is quiet and calm, the lights are dim, and if you focus on your breathing, you can keep your mind from drifting off to everyday stresses. For this quiet stretch of time, the focus is on your self.
Taking BodyFlow class in the evening after working out feels great. I stretch out everything from head to toe in class and after meditation, I head home feeling calm and centered.
Synergy Fitness offers BodyFlow on Mondays at 6 am and 6:35 pm, Wednesdays at 8 am beginning in May, and Saturdays at 10 am. Check out Synergy’s website for more information and to see a full class schedule.
