In week 3 of my six week Core Strength Challenge class there were a dozen women ranging in age over several decades. They were all sweating and breathing hard as they struggled to finish their reps. In between the work there were comments such as “If you think this is fun, I want to know what you do on the weekends,” “this is torture,” followed by laughter. My favorite was “I’m going to pretend like I can’t hear you,” followed by an enormous smile. This class is proof that if you want to get some hard work done, a class full of people with goals (and humor) is the place to do it.
When we started the enrollment session, I asked the class to explain their motivation for the 6 week challenge. Some of the common responses were to learn new exercises, regain strength after being sick or injured, to improve their dancing, and to improve the appearance of their abs. We are getting all of this done. The first week was the quietest, participants were not comfortable with each other or with me and weren’t really sure what they were getting into. By week 3, I saw friendships formed, mutual encouragement especially during hard sets, and an overall sense of class camaraderie. Each student has their strengths and weaknesses, but they are not looking at those. They are there to work on themselves with the support of like-minded people and it is truly judgement free.
I wanted to teach this class for a number of reasons. As a dancer, it took me a long time to figure out what it meant to really dance from my core and not just from my appendages. Once I knew what that felt like, it changed my dancing drastically. Now, everything feels stronger and easier; more enjoyable! I want to help my adult students find what that feels like. Many of my adult students have said that they know they should do more strength work, but it’s so hard to find time to go to the gym or do it by themselves. Having a class in the studio takes away the excuses. There are also all those benefits of improving core strength- better posture, less back pain, fewer injuries – and it’s also just fun. There’s nothing better than a room full of fun, positive people sweating together.
The next six week session begins the week of February 16. Join us or one of the other fabulous enrollment classes to help you reach a new fitness goal (or an old one). Whether you are a dancer yourself, an aspiring dancer or a parent who hangs out at the studio with your youth dancer, you will fit right in and we would love to have you join us!
TRY KELLY’S CORE STRENGTH SIX WEEK CHALLENGE
$108 for 6 weeks
Level: All Levels
If you have thought about wanting to improve your dancing or athletic ability, decrease injuries and back pain, improve your posture, or feel stronger doing everyday tasks than a good place to start is improving your core strength. This doesn’t just mean doing as many crunches as you can, the core includes the rectus and transverse abdominis, erector spinae, obliques, and lats for a start. This six week course will put you on the road to a stronger core and improved movement quality. We will cover techniques to strengthen the many muscles included in your core. At the end of the six weeks participants will have improved core strength and will have learned and feel confident using many tools and techniques to continue their path to a stronger body. This workshop is appropriate for all levels.
