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