The wise Fergie once said “I be up in the gym just workin’ on my fitness,” and seniors are her “witness” as they take advantage of their less hectic schedules through going to the gym and attending workout classes.
Whether it’s a spin class, kickboxing, lifting weights, yoga, or a salsa class, senior Taylor Mopress takes charge of her fitness through workout classes her gym, Fitness SF, offers. She attends her classes five to six times a week and especially enjoys the spin and kickboxing classes.
“They’re both super fun and high energy classes that run with music and really pump you up during your workout,” Mopress said.
Mopress likes going to the gym to exercise more than doing a team sport because not only is she in full control of her hours, but she can additionally determine the type of exercise she wants to do each day. Similarly, senior Marie St.Claire prefers classes to team sports.
“I was never that great at any sports I played in high school, so having the ability to physically challenge myself the way I want on my own time is a nice break from the stress I felt trying to compete on a team,” St. Claire said.
St Claire works out every day and attends classes at Proaction Athletics, an all women boot camp on Grand Ave that also offers Total Body Resistance Exercise (TRX) classes.
“My work out class is a combination of weightlifting and cardio for about an hour,” St Claire said. “Once you get into a habit of going it’s hard to break it and that is what happened with me.”
Senior Connor Christensen also exercises at Fitness SF and tries to go three to five times a week. Christiansen says the macho body builders intimidate him but, he likes going to the gym because it makes him “swoll.”
“I like sports because there is a sense of camaraderie and friendship, but the gym really allows you to focus on building muscle instead of just staying fit,” Christiansen said.
Senior Wes Dunlap also exercises at Fitness SF and enjoys going because it accommodates his busy schedule.
“It’s nice to live a healthy lifestyle and it’s really fun to go to the gym,” Dunlap said. “I’ve met a crowd of friends there now.”
Senior Will McBain started exercising at the gym this year at the Claremont Country Club. McBain said he enjoys the results he has seen. Every Monday, McBain goes to a workout class hosted by one of the trainers.
“It’s a really great high intensity ab session and I really like how I learn a lot of new exercises directly from an expert trainer,” McBain said.
Senior Peter Lally, not only works at 24 Hour Fitness, but also works out there six times a week. Lally says that working out not only helps him physically, in terms of building muscle and staying fit, but also mentally, influencing him to be more productive in his daily life.
“Working out helps me relieve my stress throughout the day. I forget about all the homework I have to do and it also helps me set my body in a zen mode,” Lally said. “When I don’t work out I kind of just lie on the couch but when I workout, I’m more motivated to do work when I get home.”
