Power Hour is a late afternoon class taught by a local minister, John. So, to be politically correct, John took our class to "heck and back," with an intense anaerobic and aerobic workout. This class combines the use of weights with cardiovascular exercise and will definitely get you fit or make you sore, and probably both.
Being an 'old dog' and blessedly retired, I go to the Y in the morning and I hadn't seen a lot of young professionals at the YMCA because of their work schedules. This well attended class which meets at 4:30 in the afternoon is where they meet, and it was obvious from the camaraderie that most members knew each other. Not knowing what to expect I made two key mistakes right off; I didn't bring water with me and I chose too heavy of weights for some of the activities. This class can make you sore in a hurry with the many repetitions you do lifting and this is often done at the same time as you are stepping. One of the guys in the class noted that it takes a while for your body to adjust to this intensity. He joked that when he went to pick up groceries after the first class, he was hanging on the cart to stand up. Actually, I was thinking more in line of a stretcher after we finished.
What do you do in this class? The answer would be a lot of everything. Aerobic exercise are those exercises that raise your heart rate. I use a heart monitor and during the Power Hour my heart rate was below my working zone 19 minutes, in my working zone for 36 and above for almost 15. Here is where I really wish I had brought water because you are pushing pretty darn hard and you need to drink for endurance, or in my case a transfusion would have been appreciated. Anaerobic exercises are those that push the muscles using resistance. Now, I lift weights to train for cross-country skiing and am relatively strong, but let me tell you, even light weights get awfully heavy with many repetitions. This is especially true when they are tied to stepping as well. Pure muscle stuff such as push-ups I could handle fairly well, but holding planks at the end of class; ouch! I usually do these at the beginning of my workouts, not at the end and I have to admit that I played "snake" with my belly on the ground. At the end of this workout, I was "powered out."
Except for the night in the hospital to recover, I came out of the class fairly well. I am kidding of course because I really did enjoy the physical challenge, the opportunity to interact with younger athletes, and the obvious benefit that is gained from testing your body in ways that you aren't used to. A lot of people don't know that your body adjusts to certain activities, i.e. weight lifting or swimming, and you lose some of the benefit over time. By mixing up activities, you are constantly testing your body in different ways and this class certainly did that. The class is ideal for athletes who want to get stronger and increase their endurance and flexibility. It is also obviously ideal for young professionals pressed for time who want to stay in shape with the minimum amount of time and in a time frame that fits their schedule. It probably isn't ideal for you if you are a senior in the Silver Sneakers program who is beginning to exercise, or like me, you will need an ambulance handy.
Next: Visiting one of the kids programs
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