Weekend Workouts - February 28, March 1 &2

 Another weekend and another day closer to spring weather, I hope. Bundle up and enjoy some time outside checking out some parks on Saturday. If you are training for the Derby mini/marathon Parklands would be a great place to get some long runs or check out one of the activities listed below.


Friday -
Complimentary Barre Class - 4:30pm - Pure Barre at The Paddock Shop

Saturday -
Hope for Children 5K - 9am - Sam Peden Comunity Park - New Albany, IN - family friendly race raising money to support Forget Me Not ministries

Sunday -
Yoga Nidra - 11am - off of Market St. at You Do Yoga - $5 Community class

Let's Move this weekend and have fun doing it!

 

Check out Let's Move Get Active article about recommendations for kids' and adults' goals for physical activity and healthy eating.


FYIs:
Friday (Feb. 28th) is last day to use the code AMBREF2 for $5 off Derby mini/marathon - Thanks to Shari for passing this info along from Moms Run This Town so be sure to mark her down as the ambassador when you register!

Also Friday (Feb. 28) is the last day for the Glo Run to be $35. Race is in May

Green Derby Gallop - Save $5 with the code CLOVER

Also in May is Survive the Stampede which is now offering a $5 off with code HAPPY

Lululemon Athletica Showroom

One recent morning while my 18month old daughter and I were out running errands, we decided to stop by Lululemon Athletica Showroom in St. Matthews.
It is located on Massey Ave. just off of Chenoweth Lane. Look for their red sign with their logo (a white stylized A with a red background) near the road to find the blue house with a parking lot next to it.
I was greeted by the friendly Kerry, who also teaches at B.You. Lululemon Athletica specializes in clothing for yoga, running, and other fitness interests. They are open at 10am Thursday through Saturday.
One of the reasons I wanted to check them out is that they offer FREE community classes each week! Each month they choose a fitness studio to highlight and offer classes through them. In the month of February, Pure Barre Summit is being featured. Each Friday, this month at 4:30pm, you can sign up to take the free class. More than likely you will be joined with several other people who are trying out the class for the first time. Next month, they are featuring 502 Power Yoga on Mondays starting at 7:30pm.
I was also able to meet with Barrett, the assistant manager. She showed me their table that has lots of information on local fitness studios, gyms, and classes. She has tried lots of classes herself, so she would be great to talk to about the different places if you have questions.
She also told me about Om Finder, an app through Lululemon that locates yoga classes for you wherever you go.
To keep up to date with their events and happenings, be sure to sign up for their newsletter by e-mailing them: louisville-showroom@lululemon.com.
Another great business helping Louisville get their fit in.

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." Try something new.

PiYo with ProjectBody

Another week, another class to check out! If you have not noticed, Louisville has a wide offering of classes and gyms to get your fit in.

Continuation of my tour of all things fitness in Louisville, I checked out a PiYo class with ProjectBody. I found out about ProjectBody through my friend, Layna. She has followed the owner and instructor, Joshua Lakes, for over 5 years- which says alot about an instructor! After the class, I learned that Joshua had several other students that have been with him for over 3 years. Joshua is definitely doing his part in helping Louisville get some fit in!

The class meets in St. Matthews Station off of Shelbyville Rd. It is up on the 2nd floor in the APT Fitness room. As I walked in, I was welcomed by Joshua, filled out the standard form paperwork for being a new student, and found a place near the back to set-up my mat for the class. There were about 10 other women there ready for the class.

PiYo is a mix of Pilates and yoga. It combines the stretching of yoga and the strength and core of Pilates in one workout along with the controlled breathing and balancing. We started with a warm-up and then worked through different muscle groups for each song before cooling down. He demonstrated different levels of difficulties for the exercises depending on your fitness level. He kept reminding us to breath  (which is always a good thing!) and asked us if we could feel the muscle working. If you did not feel the muscle getting worked, you need to push yourself a little harder.  It definitely gets your heart rate going!

I really liked how we focused on different muscles groups for a song and the movements were well planned out to fit in with the music. One of the exercises was jack knives with criss cross which you need to check out the class to try for yourself! Joshua has a large repertoire of songs to make each class fresh and challenging, but yet a routine working the muscle groups in the same order each time.

Comfortable workout clothes that are not too restrictive is ideal for the class. Along with a water bottle, a towel, and a yoga mat is all you need to bring.

The classes are very affordable! Mention you are a Fit In Lou reader and your first class is free and you can get $5 off a class pack - (5 classes for $25 or month rate of $45)! He teaches PiYo on Mondays and Saturdays. Tuesdays, he offers PUMP class where you need to have your own weight set, but he has a set you can borrow if you want to try it before purchasing your own set. On Wednesdays he leads Fusion Yoga.  A nice variety to get your fit in each week!

What are you waiting for? Write one of his classes on your schedule and check it out!

Do you have another class or gym I should check out? E-mail me at fitinlou@gmail.com

***Be sure to check out the other reviews: b.silque, trapeze, Zumba, Insanity, Hwang's Martial Arts, Mighty Momz, Pure Fitness Training**

Fitness on the Weekend : February 21, 22, 23

A nice change of pace for the weather this week! Hope you have been enjoying it!
If you are not participating in the Triple Crown - Anthem 5K this weekend, there is still plenty of ways to have fun and get your fit in.

Friday -
Black Light Zumba - $3 - FitMe Studio - 7pm

Saturday -

Burrito Riders - https://www.facebook.com/BurritoRiders Grab your bikes and pass out breakfast burritos to the homeless. Check the website and facebook page for meeting location and times. Or if you just want to make burritos - check them out!

PiYo - $8 drop-in or mention you are a Fit in Lou reader and your first class is free - Just need a mat.

Rainbow Blossom Free Yoga

Sunday -

Spin Class - VO2 Multisport - FREE - Bring your bike and trainer (They also offer free yoga for athletes on Mondays)
Sweaty Sheep Yoga - FREE
Zumba - FitMe Studio - $8 for drop-ins

"Wake up with determination.

Go to bed with satisfaction."

Pure Fitness Training

After Adam's recommendation and reading about his fitness journey with Pure Fitness Training, I knew I needed to check them out. Recently, I was able take my first ever boot camp class there.  I met Mike Jett, the owner and instructor of the boot camp class I tried.

Pure Fitness Training is true to its name.

Pure:  Merriam-Webster defines pure as "not mixed with anything else." Walking into the fitness studio and setting my stuff along the wall with everyone else's things, I noticed it had the basics - a bathroom, a water fountain, and the equipment needed for each workout station. Everything a gym needed to be successful. Keep it simple. It allows for you to get in and out and on with your day in about 60 minutes.

Fitness:  Merriam-Webster defines fitness as a "condition of being physically fit and healthy." Pure has boot camps offered everyday except for Sundays. The intention of these boot camps is to get you on the road to being healthy and fit. The class included stretching and a dynamic warm-up (ie running, side stepping. skipping, high knees, some resistant band exercises) before getting to the meat of the class - the circuit.

After the warm-up, we broke off into groups of 3-4 to one of about 7-8 stations.  At each station, you would complete two different exercises - strength /metabolic cardio. Each exercise lasted 30 seconds. So for 3 minutes you stayed at the station switching between the two different exercises every 30 seconds with a short break. After the 3 minutes, you moved to the next station - grabbing a drink as needed, until you have completed all of them for a full body workout.

Training - Merriam-Webster defines training as "teaching a person a particular skill." This was definitely happening in this class. There were 3 trainers (including Mike the owner) during the whole class. Bernard warmed us up demonstrating the exercises as needed to the new ones like myself. Prior to starting the stations, Bernard and Madison demonstrated the exercises, while Mike explained the 2-3 different difficult levels of each exercise, so any fitness level can do this workout. Once the stations were in progress, the trainers were actively watching us to not only help us get started since that was alot to remember, but also to make sure we had the proper technique. Mike kept track of the time and yelled out half way time and time to switch. Since this was my first time, Mike paired me up with a regular, Erny. She was a tremendous help demonstrating the exercises again for me so I knew what to do. All the trainers are either working on or hold at least a bachelor's in exercise physiology/science.

"Never throw in the towel.

Use it to wipe off the sweat. 

Then keep going."

Pure Fitness Training provides what you need to get a great workout. If you are looking for a group environment to push yourself, have it scheduled in your day to get it in, or just starting to work out, this is a place to try. Mike said the stations vary to keep it interesting and challenging. The ones we had in our class varied from bear crawling to slamming a sledge hammer on a tractor tire (my favorite), slamming a medicine ball down to push-ups with the TRX.

There was probably a little over 20 people in the class with a wide range of ages and split probably between male and females. You can see how they have designed the program for all levels in mind.
Their website is informative with info such as the new client checklist with scheduling an orientation first and what to bring. In addition, it shows you how to find the gym located in Mellwood Arts Center which I highly recommend watching if you have never been there before.  Classes are offered Monday through Saturday(morning and evening) with a monthly fee depending how many classes per week you are coming. Check them out and experience it for yourself just like Adam got started with his fitness journey.


***Be sure to check out the other reviews: b.silque, trapeze, Zumba, Insanity, Hwang's Martial Arts, Mighty Momz**

Erika's Fitness Journey with Beach Body

As I sit here writing this I look back at the last 9 months and am in awe of how far I have come and all the changes that I have made heck I rode my first century ride last year because of this! 

My Fitness and Health journey started last May 2013, I was 9 months postpartum from having my second baby,  where I was being active 2-3 times a week, eating what I thought was healthy 60% of the time and had told myself I was happy with where I was mentally and physically, but who was I kidding I wasn’t. A friend of mine from high school who had just become a beachbody coach, was 6 months postpartum from her first kiddo, and reached out to me and asked if I wanted to be in an accountability challenge group run through a private setting on Facebook. If you know me you know I NEVER pass up a challenge, so I said YES and dove right in! She told me we would be working out 5-6 days a week and eating clean! I dusted off my copy of P90X ( that I had used post baby number 1 and maybe lasted 30 days lol) and planned to incorporate that on the days that I couldn’t get to the local barre studio that I was going to.

 I have to be honest I participated in the first month but I did not really change my eating I was always under the mindset that calories were calories it didn’t matter what you were eating rather how hard you worked, sound familiar to anyone?? BOY was I WRONG! You can not out exercise a bad diet, I totally learned this the second challenge when I started tracking what I was eating, replaced one meal a day or a snack with Shakeology and stuck to a new workout schedule! For the first time in my life working out was FUN and something I began to look forward to. It became my mental me time and NOT my punishment for eating something that was unhealthy or “unclean”. Come the end of June my body really started to transform and my clothes started fitting differently. For the first time since having kids my stomach was flat and I had ABS! Something I just thought had to be given up after you have kids lol. Mentally I started feeling happier, I wasn’t so depressed anymore, or moody, and I wasn’t tired! I had more energy to play with my kids and didn’t feel like I had to take a nap every day when they did. I also for the first time since 2004 didn’t have KNEE pain. I have had two knees surgeries and thought  I was stronger and would just have to deal with the pain, but I realized now after 3 months of really focusing on my health and fitness that all of this was becoming a myth and a lie that I was telling myself. I was down to my pre pregnancy weight but I was never stronger!! 

Come July my friend who had been my “coach” for the past couple months approached me and said “hey you should really become a coach” your story is inspiring and your transformation is awesome, the other challengers really look up to you and I think you would be really good at this yourself.” I kind of laughed at her at first then started to say WHY NOT??! Why wouldn’t I be a good coach?? Why couldn’t I help people start to feel as good as I do?? I then began to believe it, just had to convince my husband to jump on board with the idea :). It wasn’t until October 24th that I signed up to be a BeachBody Coach, and I ran my first accountability challenge group the second week of November. I had over 60 women in that first group wanting to make similar changes to better themselves and to be better role models for their children or families. Some had a lot to lose but everyone had so much to gain mentally! 

This group was amazing and for the first time I was doing something that made me SO happy and fulfilled. Work didn’t seem like work it was fun! I loved waking up in the morning and seeing everyones progress and posts. I was not only helping to keep them accountable but they were helping me! We were becoming a FITFAM and women I have never even met were inspiring me and lifting others up in so many good ways. These groups almost give you a natural high, a euphoria, a comfort. They are there to pull you out of a funk and push you forward! I am currently running my fourth group and at the end of my last I had a couple challengers make the most drastic changes yet 12 lbs lost, 7.5 inches gone, and all because we were putting in time to sweat and filling our bodies with good clean food. Life is too short to be unhappy with how you look and feel. There is always time for health and exercise. I am not on a diet and never again will I be I have made a lifestyle change and it has stuck because I did it the slow and steady way! I have done things in the past year that I NEVER thought I would be able to do, I rode my first century ride and I am training for my first Mini. 

I run these challenge groups every 30 days on facebook and am always looking for new faces to join our journey! Friend me on facebook and I would love to message you more info! 

Mighty Momz Class

As moms, it is difficult to find time for everything that we would like to do. Fortunately, Coach Nicole (also a mom!) of the Mighty Titans, can help you get your fit in! She has developed an express fitness program for moms.

Continuing my journey of exploring all things fitness in Louisville, I recently had a chance to chat with Nicole about her Mighty Momz class and go through a Success session. Upon meeting Nicole for the session, I was very impressed with her enthusiasm and warm welcome to help put my nerves at ease. This session is the first thing you need to do to get started in the Mighty Momz class. This 30 minute assessment will go over things like your health - (including past injuries), calculate your percent body fat, posture evaluation, and work together to come up with attainable health and fitness goals, so be sure to wear some workout clothes. She is very thorough and takes her time explaining everything of what she is doing and why. This assessment will help her develop an exercise prescription for you. For example, for me she noticed my left side was slightly higher than the other and my upper body caved in a little - all this was news to me.  With these in mind and having my percent body fat in an acceptable range, she recommended (aka prescribed) I gain more muscle mass to help improve my core which in turn would help my posture. Also, she encouraged using a foam roller for recovery training.

 The  next step would be to meet with her in one of the group session 1-3x/week. This is a 45 minute workout that includes warm-up, workout, cool-down, and a question and answer session - including some nutritional tips. During the week, you will do the exercises as prescribed from your success session on your own. This program is setup to continue to boost your metabolism for 36 hours post workout and build muscle tissues. Nicole is constantly evolving your workouts to keep you getting stronger and fitter.

What makes this unique is that Coach Nicole is offering personal training in a group setting. She has over 20 years of personal training experience, certified in pre- and post-natal,  and a master's degree in exercise physiologist. She has a wealth of knowledge to answer all your questions. You get all the benefits of one-on-one without the high price. She holds you accountability  - if she does not see you at the workout, she will contact you to make sure you are okay. If you have questions when you are home - she is available via e-mail or phone to help you out. The personal training is with the group price of $20-25/session.  The only equipment you would need is a foam roller and some resistance bands for her training which means her training you can do anywhere and anytime!

Another good thing about the Mighty Moms class is that you can enroll anytime and the success session and the first week is FREE! If you are unhappy, you can stop anytime, risk-free. The classes are being offered at 10am at Mockingbird and 8:30am in Crestwood. Mockingbird offers soccer classes for 18months up to 3 years at 10am with  open enrollment for those kids whose moms is enrolled in the Mighty Momz class. Not only can you get your fit in, but your kids can have some fun too!

If you do not already, you should follow Mighty Titans on Facebook. She posts exercises, nutritional tips and more to keep you going on your fitness journey.

If you need some accountability, need one-on-one to start working out, you definitely should give Nicole an e-mail! As a coach, she wants you to be successful. She meets you right where your fitness level is at today and will work alongside with you, encouraging you to attain your goals.

Weekend Workouts - February 14, 15, 16

Valentine's Weekend has finally arrived! Hopefully you have a fun weekend planned  with some active things in there as well. Don't forget to check out the post for active things to do this Valentine's if you need some ideas.

This weekend has lots of free classes. There are also a few organized runs that would be fun to do.

Here are just a few from picks from the calendar:

Jazzercise - One free class Friday, Saturday, or Sunday!

Louisville Brew Mile - Saturday - $5 for a mile run/walk with Blue Mile starting at Hein Bros at 1449 Bardstown Rd. and finished with a cup of coffee.

 CrossFit Regeneration - Saturday - Free class -  Email to let them know you are coming

Yoga - Sunday - FREE - Rainbow Blossom - A Taste of Yoga is a weeklong event at Rainbow Blossom of free yoga classes!

Don’t wait until you’ve reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching that goal.

 

Louisville Recreational Sport Leagues

  Louisville area has lots of ways to get active in team sports year round- from soccer to basketball to hockey to volleyball. It is a great way to get some exercise with people who share your same passion for the sport.
  If you are not wanting to fully commit to a season, check out some pick-up games and bring a buddy. The Oldham County YMCA has an indoor arena that has co-ed pick-up soccer on Fridays from 12-2pm for $5. Iceland said it had pick-up hockey on its website.

Below are some websites for team sports to check out.  Some places take free agents, others just want teams.

 Rowing
Louisville Rowing Club - Experienced and inexperienced welcomed!

Tennis
Tennis Club - variety of programs offered

Hockey
Louisville Adult Hockey - Iceland - Includes a Never, Ever League for those adults who have never played before or barely ice skates.

Soccer
Greater Louisville Soccer League - Outdoor soccer league
River City Sports Arena - indoor socc
Oldham County YMCA - Co-Ed Over 30 Soccer - Sunday nights - indoor
Mockingbird Valley Sports Complex - indoor soccer leagues - mens, women's, co-ed
Louisville Pickup Soccer - plays a few nights a week - outdoors

Volleyball
Mid-America Sports Complex - Volleyball
Ohio Valley Volleyball Center - Volleyball
Baxter Jack's - Sand Volleyball - April to October - teams starting to form
Bernie's Volleyball - Sand Volleyball - leagues starting May, so teams forming soon.

Places offering multiple sports:
Sports Monster - Softball, flag football, kickball, tennis,
League of Xtraordinary Co-eds - Lots of sports leagues - kickball, flag football, volleyball, sand volleyball - big on social aspect too
Metro Athletics - basketball, kickball, softball, flag football, volleyball, tennis
Hoops - basketball, volleyball

Enjoy a sport, but want to make a little bit of money? Consider becoming a referee! Oldham County Youth Soccer is looking for refs for their upcoming youth spring soccer season.  You must be USSF certified. To check when the next certification course is scheduled, go to: www.kyreferee.com. If you are certified, let them know your interest by sending them an email to: ocysasoccer@gmail.com

 I recently joined an indoor co-ed soccer team this winter. Soccer was a pre-kid thing for me, so it had been over 6 years since I had played in a recreational league. It has been fun getting back into the game. The games are weekly at 8pm when my kids are already in bed. My left foot shot is still as bad as it was 6 years ago. As for my right foot - the better of the two - needs some practice too, but still fun running up and down the field for a change of pace and a bit of fun.

Know of other opportunities to participate in team sports or pickup games? Let me know in comments below or e-mail me at fitinlou@gmail.com.

March Charity Events

I know we are not even halfway through February, but here are some things in March to get your fit in while giving back or helping out.



whoirun4.com

March 1 - Polar Bear Plunge - Tumbleweed on the Waterfront - The Polar Plunge is one of the biggest Special Olympics fundraisers of the year.

March 1 - Hope for the Children 5K - New Albany, IN - This family-friendly 5K run/walk is to raise money in supporting Forget Me Not Ministries (FMN) and a missionary, Rachel Ross, who has a heart for the Roma (gypsy) in Tinca, Romania.

March 15 - Kenny Gilliland Memorial Fundraiser 5K/10K-  Crestwood

March 8 and 22 - Burrito Riders - Grab your bikes and pass out breakfast burritos to the homeless

March 29 - 25th Annual Healthcare Classic 5K Run/Walk - Cherokee Park - Benefits Healing Place

March 30 - Chocolate 5K- E.P. Tom Sawyer Park - Benefits No Kill Louisville - Pet Friendly Race

Check out the other ideas in Fitspired you can do year round.

Know of other events? Is your gym having one and open to the public?
E-mail fitinlou@gmail.com or comment below and I will update the list!

 

Valentine's Day Ideas

Why not try something new this year with your sweetie? Do something active first and then join in for some yummy treats at a local restaurant.

February 9 - E.P. Tom Sawyer is offering a Sweethearts Hike for $5 a couple.



My other half and I taking a trapeze class.

February 10 - Deadline to sign-up for Jefferson Memorial Forest's Valentine's Day Romantic Retreat for either Feb. 14 or Feb. 15. It is a candlelit hike to Manor House to sit by a fire and enjoy hot beverages and desserts provided by local bakeries.

Feb. 12 - Be My Valentine's Run - Derby City Running Club - fun chance to see what this social running club is all about

 February 14 - Partner Yoga - Shine - $20/couple -  Bring anyone you’d like to gain a deeper connection with; partner, friend, sibling, roommate..etc! Practice is accessible for all levels (including beginner yogis and those men who think they are ‘not’ flexible)

Friday, Feb. 14 - Dancing - Take a beginning dance class together and then stay for the 1950s Sweetheart Dance with Bravo Dance Studio.

Why not try ice skating, rock climbing, or MegaQuest get 2-3 other couples and give Trapeze a try by scheduling class with Clayton.

Louisville Health and Wellness Magazine recently published an article on Benefits of Exercising A Couple if you need even more reasons to be active this Valentine's Day with your significant other.

Whatever you decide to do, just create some fun memories with one another and have a great Valentine's Day!

Weekend Workouts - February 7, 8, and 9

Ideas to get some fit in and learn about places that offer fitness classes for this weekend:

Friday the 7th

• Get some information about circus and aerial classes while enjoying Louisville Turners Circus February Showcase.  It starts at 8pm with tickets costing $10 for adults and $5 for students. A fire act is being featured during this showcase. (Louisville Turners is where Clayton offers his trapeze classes that are a lot of fun.)

 Saturday the 8th

Besides Lovin the Hills Race and Snowman Shuffle -

• Burrito Riders - https://www.facebook.com/BurritoRiders Grab your bikes and pass out breakfast burritos to the homeless. Check the website and facebook page for meeting location and times.Or if you just wanna make burritos - check them out!

• Baptiste Power Vinyasa - Opening Class for 502 Power Yoga - Kentucky's first Baptiste Power Vinyasa yoga studio

 

Sunday the 9th

• Spin Class - VO2 Multisport - FREE - Bring your bike and trainer (They also offer free yoga for athletes on Mondays)
• Sweaty Sheep Yoga - FREE
• Zumba - FitMe Studio - $8 for drop-ins

FYI -

•  Week of Feb. 16 - Free yoga at Rainbow Blossom - Great time to check out yoga
• Great time to start planning your spring races before prices increase - check out active.com, rivercityraces.com, Fleet Feet Sports, or my posts on local unique races and Relay and multi-bike races
• Check out Races/Events for a cause to get out and about in February.
• Or checked out the Fitspired Page - Recent apps that donate money as you run, cycle or walk, and Trikes for Tikes that repairs donated bikes and gives them out to the less fortunate

Insanity and FitMe Studio

My quest in highlighting all things fitness in Louisville has finally led me to Insanity. Fortunately, it was just a class at FitMe Studio with over 15 other people who were going to endure the next 60 minutes with me.


Heath running around instructing and encouraging everyone

I think Insanity is a polite way to remind me that "No one has ever drowned in her own sweat." Not even my sweaty band stayed in place! Insanity was created by Shaun T and is "max interval training." Wikipedia describes it as "a method of exercising during which one works out strenuously for 3–4 minutes and then rests or "cools down" for approximately 30 seconds before starting the whole process over again." In this class, taught by Heath, we did 4 segments, repeating each of the segment 3 times. Each segment had about 4 exercises or movements. The last segment was my favorite. There were 6 stations in which you stayed there for 60 seconds. You can do anything for 60 seconds, right?
 
FitMe Studio  continues to remind me of Cheers as I previously mentioned when I reviewed a Zumba class there. Several people that took the Zumba class also take this class and remembered me! Friends had gathered there and a few new people came to try it out. I met one couple that had return for the second time. They liked the challenge of it, the feeling of completing the class while having fun. What a great way to be accountable to each other - encouraging one another to get fit and healthy in a positive way. During the 30sec rests, I was seeing high fives and encouraging words shared of making it through the last block. 

A little wall walking (with Erin and Ericka)

Heath, the instructor, is what I will lovingly refer to as Insanity's Energizer Bunny. He was everywhere! With the music starting, Heath started the class off telling us to move at your own pace, do not worry about what your neighbor is doing (which who had time to even look around?), and drink water as needed.  He did a fantastic job of showing how to do each exercise and the modified version proving that this class is for EVERYONE! No matter what fitness level you are at - male, female, this gives you a full body workout. Jennifer, the FitMe Owner, was even in the class.  If you are new to working out, each time you come, you push yourself a little more, and eventually you will be seeing yourself doing less modified versions. If you are more fit, Heath will push to get your knees higher than you thought possible in high knees.  (I had no idea that knees could go that high, Heath!) Heath moved around while doing the exercises so everyone could see how to do them and encouraged us by name. We listened to the horn in the music to know when to switch exercises so it was easy to follow especially with Heath constantly demonstrating the moves.

As a social, mid-pack runner, Insanity was great cross training. Heath, a runner himself, knew I was a runner since I was wearing a  wicking shirt from a race. I highly recommend wearing a tech wicking shirt versus a cotton one with the amount of sweat produced in this class. The Monsters from Monsters, Inc. could run their world with our sweat if needed versus kids screams or laughter, but I digress. Heath was able to encourage me to work harder by saying this exercise was good for the trail hills or the Achilles etc. It was great motivation to keep on sweating. So if you are a runner, a bicyclist, swimmer, or new to fitness, Insanity is worth checking out.

Having a fitness family, I think, is a key to be successful in your fitness journey. Having the instructors know who you are and the other students in the class knowing you are pushing yourself encourages them to work hard too.  All of this makes you accountable and want to return.  Allison told me she got hooked on the classes at FitMe Studio when her friend, Aimee encouraged her to try it out. Laura, who is new to working out, enjoys the fun that the Zumba and Insanity classes bring to get her 'fit in'.

What I love about FitMe Studio is there are NO distractions. They have a bathroom, towels to wipe your sweat, and a drinking fountain. For about an hour, you are focused on working out. No phones, computers, or kids to interrupt your workout for 60minutes - which is not easy to find at home! The classes are very affordable with drop-in rates starting at $8 with discounts for students and military personnel. Check out FitMe's calendar for times and days.

At last, after planks and pushups, it was cool-down time. We even did our cool down to the Cheers theme song. "Where everybody knows your name..." What more could you ask for?


Jennifer also owns Jennifer's Academy of Dance. On Mondays - Wednesdays evenings, your kids can take a dance class while you take a class next door at FitMe Studio. Now that is using your time wisely!


 Check out my other reviews on B. You's B.silque class, Clayton Sallee's static trapeze class, and Hwang's Martial Arts.

Hwang's Martial Arts at Springhurst Review

My 2 sons (ages 6 and 3) and I had the opportunity to check out Hwang's Martial Arts near Hurstbourne and Westport Rd. during the recent Fitness Crawl week hosted by JCC and Leo Weekly. They also are located in Okolona and Jeffersontown.

 Our class was in Taekwondo. It was our first experience with any type of martial arts. We were greeted by the friendly instructors as we walked into the gym. Since it was our first class we watched a promo video and filled out some paperwork. We were given our belts and waited for our class to begin as we sat criss cross applesauce (as my boys like to call it) in a line on the floor.

Our class started. The adults were called first and ran down to the other side of the gym. There were a few other first time students in my class with a few others that had been coming for a few weeks. Our instructor was perfect for a newbie like myself. He broke everything down so all we had to do was mimic him. He explained why you yell while doing punches and kicks - which if you do not know, just go try the class out. After going through punches and kicks, we did various kicks and punches while moving across the floor. Before you knew it, the class was over.

I did not get a chance to watch my boys in their class, but they said they had fun. My oldest liked learning the punches best while my other son enjoyed the kicks the best. Both were worn out from the class. 

At the end of class, all the students line up for announcements. Hwang's do a monthly character development report card. It rewards kids for completing their daily responsibilities, self-discipline, reading daily, and practicing Taekwondo which is recognized during this time as well.

I really liked how the class was set-up so that everyone in the family (ages 3 and up)  could participate at the same time. With a family of 5, I understand how hard it is to get anything done. Fortunately, Hwang's helps to get everyone in the family some exercise by offering beginner classes daily.

Hwang's Martial Arts also offers summer camps and after school care. They give back to the community too. April 26 they are having a kick-a-thon to raise money for Kosair Children's Hospital.

If you have not tried martial arts out, be sure to check Hwang's Martial Arts out.  They have Groupons or sign-up for two classes for $15.


 Check out my other reviews on B. You's B.silque class, Clayton Sallee's static trapeze class, FitMe Studio's Zumba.

Louisville and Fitness

 Last May, James Bragger of Courier Journal wrote an article on Louisville being ranked near the bottom of the American Fitness Index for 2013. Actually, he writes, "Louisville moved up to 47th place from 48th out of 50 of the largest cities division."  The report, put out by American College of Sports Medicine, looks at personal and community health indicators which include smoking, heart disease, parks per capita etc.
 With that being said, I feel we still are heading in the right direction of moving up as a community. In the past few years, Louisville has been named a friendly bicycling city by Bicycling Magazine in 2010 and Travel Channel in 2013. Recently, Bicycling for Louisville held a 2014 Bike Kick Off event to promote networking and coordinate efforts to improve biking in the area. Places like VO2 Multisport  have held free clinics such as Bike Fitting 101 and other bike maintenance classes. Bike Louisville is another great online source for biking. The folks at Forest Giant and Urban Design Studio are teaming up to build an app to collect data that will guide Metro toward building better bike routes. (Check out WFPL's article on it.) All this just is just related to biking!
 So if you are not into biking, in 2013, Louisville was named a Walk Friendly Community by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, Chapel Hill, NC.  The Waterfront with the new pedestrian bridge, Parklands, and Jefferson Memorial Forest  are all free, interesting places to get some fresh air and exercise. Monthly,  Parklands and Jefferson Memorial Forest hosts free or very cheap hikes if you want to join a group. Walktober has great links to walking places and tips too. Fleet Feet Sports store hosts free injury screening clinics occasionally too to keep you out there running and walking.  If you are thinking about picking up running, there are lots of 5Ks in the area to sign up for to stay motivated in your training. Check out sites such as Swag's Calendar or River City Races for races.
 Healthy Hometown is another great website and initiative in the area. It offers free classes throughout the year from quitting smoking to nutrition classes. They update their Facebook regularly for when the classes are offered. Also twice a year, Hike, Bike, and Paddle event is held to encourage an active lifestyle - FREE!
  Louisville may not be at the top now in the American Fitness Index, but we are heading in the right direction. Several new fitness places have had grand openings in the past few months - Get Fit 24/7, B.You Springhurst, Pro Martial Arts, You Do Yoga, and soon 502 Power Yoga . Besides all the above, Louisville has lots of affordable (even FREE) fitness classes! Several places offer a first class is free, so if you are not for sure what you like, try a little bit of everything.
 The hardest part is just getting out. Grab a friend to hold each other accountable, try something new, train for a race together, or check out a running club. The friend factor is what helped, Adam, on his fitness journey with Pure Fitness Training.
 I am hoping through this blog you can find something that you enjoy doing that gets you active. Louisville has so much variety in the fitness arena that the decision is on you to find what works with your interests, schedule, and budget. There are trainers, instructors, and nutritionists that will fit your personality and encourage you along your journey. Do not give up if you try something that did not work for you, try something else. This year I am stepping out of my comfort zone and checking out as much as I can for you so you know what to expect when you visit gyms and classes.

Want to share your fitness journey, brag about your favorite place to get your fit in?  E-mail me your story to helpfully encourage someone else to get out there and get their fit in- fitinlou@gmail.com