THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
4A
LIFE
COMMUNITY RECORDER
PEOPLE | IDEAS | RECIPES
“We are the first Y in the world to offer In-Trinity and the first location outside of California to offer it in North America.” — Kathy Lehr, spokeswoman for the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MAYHEW/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER
Kate Zembrodt, Campbell County YMCA board chairwoman and kickboxing instructor, shows Jessica Berberich of Independence how to punch with her sparring partner Nancy Morrison of Florence.
BOUTIQUE FITNESS New programs — kickboxing and In-Trinity — are part of YMCA youth focus Chris Mayhew cmayhew@communitypress.com
FORT THOMAS – YMCA’s in Campbell and Boone counties are in the midst of a fitness programs youth kick. Campbell County YMCA in Fort Thomas and R.C. Durr YMCA in Burlington each added boutique fitness classes including kickboxing and ballet-inspired barre body and muscle shaping classes. In-Trinity, in which people work out on an incline slant board, is the newest class added at the YMCAs in Fort Thomas and Burlington. “We are the first Y in the world to offer In-Trinity and the first location outside of California to offer it in North America,” said Kathy Lehr, spokeswoman for the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati. Lehr said R.C. Durr has a new MyRide cycling classes that integrates music with an instructor and a virtual destination. It brings a new dimension to the cycling experience, Lehr said. New ClimbMills step machines have been added at R.C. Durr and MyRide, Lehr said. The YMCA is trying to be more innovative and is bring-
Katie Steffen of Fort Thomas stretches out her arms as she twists sideways in a barre fitness class inside the Campbell County YMCA.
ing in new programs, Todd Hensel, membership experience director at Campbell County, said of In-Trinity. “We’re going to be one of the first organizations in the area to offer that program. “We want to be not only tracking families, but also younger adults who are into those boutique style classes.” TRX, a course started more than a year ago, uses suspension training developed by the
military, Hensel said. Pilates, Zumba and cardio and strength training, and gentle yoga are other classes available. A class called Resistance Intervals Power Plyometrics and Endurance (R.I.P.P.E.D.) is one of the more challenging new classes added last year, Hensel said. “It’s a one-stop body shock,” he said. Katie Steffen, 34, of Fort Thomas, takes barre classes
regularly at the YMCA. “I like it,” Steffen said. “It’s an all-over body workout.” Barre instructor Gayla Hawkes leads classes of women in a series of stretching motions across a room with wood floors and a wall of mirrors. Low impact is the barre goal, Hawkes said. “It’s core and lower-body work making long and lean muscles instead of short stocky muscles,” she said. Campbell County YMCA Fitness Coordinator Nick Heiss teaches fitness boot camp and cycling classes and provides personal training sessions. Heiss said he meets with people of all ages in individual sessions usually lasting about half an hour. “We go over their goals and fitness needs,” he said. For older adults there are Silver Sneakers classes. Traditional youth sports and swimming classes haven’t gone anywhere, Hensel said. By adding more classes for young working professionals the YMCA is offering something for everyone, he said. “We don’t want to be known as just a swimming gym,” Hensel said.