It’s the new year which means that many people have made their New Year’s resolutions and are trying to adopt healthier habits for the year to come. Getting in shape, going to the gym, being active and other synonymous phrases often find their way onto people’s lists.
Once January passes, some people stop trying to see their fitness goals through. So, if this is you, having someone or something to keep you accountable for your goals might just be what you need.
The Dalplex offers many different fitness classes taught by various instructors. Finding the right class for you could help keep you motivated and help you follow through with that pesky New Year’s resolution.
One of the many fitness classes is Body Strong. This class, which is offered various times throughout the week, is focused on improving muscle tone by using handheld weights.
On Wednesday mornings, Carrie MacGillivray, who has been teaching fitness classes at the Dalplex since 1996, instructs the class.
MacGillivray started working at Dalplex because it seemed like a natural fit for her interests. Her love of fitness came from her background in competitive running and strength training, and she focuses on ensuring that people are training in an effective manner that limits the risk of injury.
The class
MacGillivray starts off her Body Strong class with a full-body warm-up consisting of jogging, lunges and stretches. After, various exercises involving weights and bands are performed and MacGillivray ensures that all participants are in proper formations.
MacGillivray instructs all participants to, “Work at your own pace. Take it easy starting and take days off. Don’t do too much too soon because that is a recipe for pain and injury.”
The handheld weights used for the exercises can be lighter or heavier based on personal preference and ability.
“When you are working out, more is not always better,” said MacGillivray when giving recommendations to participants. “Using slightly heavier weights and doing fewer repetitions has proven to be more effective than doing many repetitions with little weights.”
The hour-long class concludes with a cool-down, involving stretching out the muscles that were exercised. MacGillivray welcomes participants to ask questions throughout the class and at the end of class she provided some wisdom on her views of fitness.
“Most people are looking for the long-lean look and there is a lot of misinformation out there on social media about picking up small weights and doing tons of repetitions,” she said. “You won’t reach your fitness goals doing that and you are more likely to get injured. Don’t believe everything you read online. Always remember that long-lean muscles just means that you have muscles with low body fat.”
To register for a Body Strong class, visit the Dalplex website and select the time that you can commit to attending.
Grading the Experience
Scale of 1-10; 1 being little and 10 being larger
Time Commitment: 1
Skill: 5
Accessibility: 9
Enjoyment: 9
Overall Experience: 9.5
Concluding Thoughts
This fitness class was very enjoyable overall and is the perfect starting spot if you want to learn more about strength training. When working at your own pace, with the weights that you are most comfortable with, you can build up a sweat in a safe and friendly environment.
“Not every class is for every person,” said MacGillivray. “Try lots of classes, try classes with different instructors and you’ll eventually find something that you enjoy. If you are doing something you love, find someone who likes to do it with you, and if you enjoy what you are doing and you have someone to keep you accountable, you are more likely to stick with what you are doing.”
Just get out there and try it because maybe this fitness class is the right one for you and will help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions. If you are part of a society that you want me to explore or if there’s an activity you think I should try, please email your suggestions to nt743857@dal.ca.
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