FORT RUCKER, Ala. (February 27, 2014) -- Workouts can often become monotonous and repetitive, and that's why Fort Rucker's fitness centers are making sure to find exciting new ways to keep workouts fresh.
The Fort Rucker physical fitness centers offer many classes to fit a variety of fitness needs, and new classes are being offered with new instructors to help people get on the fast track to a healthy lifestyle, said Lynn Avila, Fort Rucker fitness programs coordinator.
"(Working out) is not just about losing weight, but about staying healthy -- mentally and physically," she said. "We want to help people get a new outlook on life and get them to lead a healthy lifestyle."
The fitness centers offer up to 15 different classes that cover a wide variety of fitness levels and styles of workout ranging from cardio, strength and aerobic, and some of the newer classes hit on multiple styles.
One such class is the Functional and Strength Training class, which is a one-hour, high-intensity class that uses functional lifting combined with strength training for those interested in building muscle, said Avila. A FAST class demonstration is held once a month for those interested in learning about functional lifting, and for the first time, the fitness center is offering a Saturday FAST class because of such high demand.
The Army Physical Fitness Training class is another new addition to the fitness centers' repertoire. This is a class designed to help Soldiers improve their PT scores, said the fitness coordinator. Participants will do more than push-ups, sit-ups and running, but other exercises geared toward improving those three main exercises.
Tabata is another new class that is a high-intensity, interval-training workout designed to push participants to their limits, said Avila. The class builds aerobic and anaerobic endurance through maximum-effort exercises in 20-second spurts with 10-second rest periods in 4-minute intervals.
Express Circuits is another high-intensity workout that meets in the evening, and unlike most classes is a 30-minute class. During this class, participants move from one exercise to the next in quick succession with very little down time to maximize their workout time in a short period, said Avila.
"This is one of those classes that's great to get in before going home and winding down for the day," she said. "If you want to get in a great cardio workout, this is the one to attend."
Some classes, like Zumba Toning, aren't new, but classes that have been improved upon. Like Zumba, Zumba Toning uses the same dance styles and workouts but incorporates toning sticks to help tone muscle as well as lose weight.
"Zumba is a great cardio exercise that focuses on losing weight, but this is a way to help people focus more on toning the muscles," said Avila. "People in the class love to dance already and wanted something more than just to lose the weight, so we incorporated the toning aspect."
Oh Baby is another new fitness class that came about due to popular demand, said the fitness coordinator. The class is low-impact and designed to accommodate expectant mothers and new mothers up to six months after giving birth.
"This is a great class for new mothers and mothers-to-be to continue exercising without injuring themselves," said Avila. "The periods during and after pregnancy are very delicate and precautions should be taken while exercising, and this helps with that."
Although not new, H2O Cardio and Strength is one of the fitness centers' more unique classes in that it takes place in the pool. Participants utilize weights, cardio workouts and water resistance to give the workout an extra edge, according to the fitness coordinator.
"This class is a very good low-impact workout for people with joint or ligament issues," she said. "It's also great as a rehabilitation class for those who can't yet workout in the gym but want to keep their mobility in their workouts."
Avila said that although these classes offer a great way for people to stay in shape and remain healthy, it's also a great way for people to meet new friends.
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These classes offer people on Fort Rucker a great way to network and meet new people, on top of the benefits of working out," she said. "These are people with the same interests in doing the same things to stay in shape."
Classes are $3.50 per class or $30 per month for unlimited classes.
For more information, call 255-3794 or 255-2296.
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