Spring fitness in full swing at the Wellness Center

Despite this week’s cold snap, spring is, kind of approaching. The staff at the Pocahontas County Community Wellness Center invites anyone that feels like they might need to shed some extra winter pounds to pop by.

The Wellness Center has maintained its schedule of fitness and dance classes. Parks and Rec Director Lauren Bennett said the fitness classes were pretty well attended throughout the winter season, but the warm weather the past week or so might’ve affected attendance recently.

“With the weather getting nicer, we’ve seen a little bit of a drop in numbers,” says Bennett. “Rather than looking for someplace to exercise inside, they’re walking the trails and that kind of thing.”

According to Bennett, all of the classes at the Wellness Center are offered at pretty reasonable rates.

“The yoga classes are $5,” explains Bennett. “We have three different classes going on. Beginner yoga Tuesday nights with Melissa Dobbins, a yoga class with Kristy Lanier on Thursday evenings, and then we have started a new, kind of a more intermediate-type yoga. So, somebody with a little more experience in yoga, it’s a yoga series that they’re doing on Monday nights.”

Bennett said Kelly Shiflett continues to lead the Zumba classes at the wellness center.

“We still have Zumba going on Mondays and Thursday evenings, 5:30 to 6:30, those are $3,” she says. “They seem to keep a steady number going. We have a circuit training class going on right now, Mondays and Wednesday evenings, which is kind of a combination of weight training and aerobic exercise. Essentially you’re working all the different parts of your body, all the different muscle groups and stuff. That’s happening Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m.”

Bennett said in addition to her yoga classes; Kristy Lanier is also offering spin classes to anyone interested. Lanier has said spin classes are kind of an instructor-led indoor bike class.
“She’s got 4 spin bikes that she’s brought over here,” Bennett says. “And she’s doing classes Tuesdays and Thursdays. 2 classes, 4:15 and one at 5:15.”

And Bennett said the weight room has been seeing steady numbers lately.

“We continue to have pretty decent crowds, especially after work,” says Bennett. “We do have beginner weight lifting with Brad Carpenter teaching, on Friday afternoons, it’s kind of geared toward teenagers who want to learn the proper way to get started. So that’s for like age 12 and up. That is free.”

Bennett said there are classes at the Wellness Center for all experience levels, sizes, shapes and age groups.

“We still have the over-45 basketball Tuesday evenings,” offers Bennett. “Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Phyllis Tyler is doing a low impact kind of aerobics/dance class. It’s aerobic but they also work in the core muscle groups as well. It’s designed for perhaps older folks, or ones who are not as physically fit to get started, and that is free, Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10:00. She’s also doing that in Hillsboro down at the gym, Monday and Wednesday evenings at 5:30 I believe, and it’s free down there as well.”

And the multi-purpose rooms at the Wellness Center are perfect for civic and organizational meetings.

“I know the Farm2School program is starting an after school club that will be meeting here,” she says. “That’s starting next Tuesday. ‘Dig, Plant, Eat!’ is what the poster says. It looks like beginning April 22, Tuesdays and Thursdays, through the summer. At the moment that kind of looks like what’s going on.”

For more information call the Wellness Center at 304 799 7386.