By Bobbe Ann Crouch
FITNESS
She Tried It:
A Virtual Cardio Workout at Home Photo by Melissa Donald
R
ecently I took my first online cardio class hosted by Jewish Community of Louisville’s “Virtual JCC.” The site has a large number of live-streamed fitness classes, but since I am so new, I opted to do a pre-taped cardio class. (Let’s be honest; no one needs to hear me gasping for air or watch me fall down.) The one I chose was “Cardio Class with Floor Exercise” with Ginny. It is a 40-minute class designed to help develop strong muscles and increase cardio endurance and flexibility. What helped me decide on this particular one was that I didn’t need any special equipment. Also, although there were other classes that appeared to be easier and were shorter, I chose this one to challenge myself. Ginny starts out with a slow warmup, which is designed to stretch and wake up your muscles. I loved that she immediately mentioned going “at your own range of motion,” which is important, because we are all at different levels. (By the way, I was winded before finishing this part!) After the warmup, she segues into the cardio portion of the workout, which includes all sorts of movements from knee lifts to leg kicks to squats; then into floor exercises, which include leg lifts and ab work; and then finally, the cool down. As a beginner, I felt this class was very easy to follow, yet it was still challenging for me to complete. There wasn’t a movement I wasn’t able to perform, which leads me to say that the level of difficulty is easy. However, don’t let the word “easy” fool you. I was absolutely challenged and many times had to slow down to catch my breath in order to continue. (The fact that I only uttered a few expletives and only once laid flat on the floor laughing at my uncoordination is a victory for me. Two thumbs up for Instructor Ginny!) When I finished the workout, my entire body felt like Jell-O. I could already feel soreness coming on, but even better, I felt accomplished and proud of myself. One day later I’m feeling even more sore, but I’m also feeling inspired to try this again. This particular workout covered the entire body, and I can definitely see that over time, this can not only help my body, but my spirit too.
Writer Bobbe Ann Crouch put virtual workouts to the test.
Having been able to complete this cardio class makes me interested in trying the other classes that are available, which include strength training, restorative yoga, pre- and post-workout stretches, and even ab circuits. Who knows, with practice I may even venture into a live class some day!
OTHER GYMS OFFERING FREE LIVE AND VIRTUAL AEROBIC WORKOUTS: YMCALOUISVILLE.ORG Similar to JCC, the YMCA of Louisville offers a variety of live streamed and taped exercise classes.
FACEBOOK.COM/ FITNESS19LOUISVILLE Fitness 19 instructors livestream aerobics classes every Monday afternoon.
28 Summer 2020 / TodaysTransitionsNow.com
YOUTUBE.COM/BAPTISTHEALTH/ MILESTONEWELLNESSCENTER Baptist Health/Milestone Wellness Center has an entire YouTube channel full of all sorts of workouts and health information.
CLASSPASS.COM Over 4,000 live and on-demand workouts can be found here, but you must download the free app.