JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
"Tis' the season to be jolly" makes for a great song, but I am pretty sure those lyrics didn't mean that all the jolliness needs to go straight to your waistline or hips.
Throughout this holiday season we will be faced with great smells and foods that will make our mouths water. But be careful not to take on too many extra helpings, because at the end of the season you may wonder why your pants are that much snugger or your shirt doesn't hug the way it used to.
A great way to keep in shape, and challenge yourself is the 'Step and Sculpt' class offered by the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center at Sam's Gym on the Weapons Station on Joint Base Charleston. I mean, how hard could it be? Step up, step down, you do that every day just going up and down the stairs!
Step and Sculpt is a total body workout, testing your strengths and weaknesses, giving you a vigorous routine, mixing cardio with weight strengthening exercises. After such a rewarding and strenuous workout, I wanted to share my personal experience with the class.
Don't get me wrong, I have been on active duty for almost 12 years, and I love physical training! I pass every bi-annual physical test, and I continue to improve my endurance on a routine basis. I thought I was pretty much good to go when it came to physical training. Wrong! I have never experienced such a workout as I have in the two weeks I attended the class. My toenails hurt!
I concentrated on mimicking each arm, foot and leg movement as best I could. At first I was nervous, not wanting to mess up or worse ... miss a step and fall on my face! After my second week of attendance, I realized nobody cares! No one is judging me and everyone makes mistakes. I haven't actually fallen on my face ... yet, but, one would have to be like an Olympic gold medalist to not make a mistake.
The workout started pretty easy; step up on a platform, then step down and repeat. The tempo builds and you throw in more steps with each move. Okay, I got this, or so I thought. Thirty minutes later I immediately regretted thinking this was easy, the class was turning out to be one heck of a workout!
The aerobics instructor did roughly 20 minutes of cardio, the stepping up and down and the wildly swinging arms process, and then went into sculpting. Ack! We did squats and other leg exercises that could make a grown man cry!
With my legs trembling like a person trying to stand on a balance beam during an earthquake, I wiped the sweat from my eyes. I couldn't believe it. Here I am panting, out of breath, straining to just keep up and these Richard Simmons "wannabe's" were begging for more! Just as I was ready to break for a moment, we went right back into stepping: up and down, grapevine kicks and alas ... the pain continued.
I wanted to give up! I wanted to throw up! My legs were wobbling like Jell-O - that rubber sensation you get after a strenuous workout - causing me to miss steps and almost trip over myself! I felt like a clown, giant shoes and all. The only thing missing from my act was a giant red nose and an audience laughing at my unintentional efforts to entertain.
Who would have thought step aerobics could be such a challenging workout! I am getting a satisfying routine, which hurts, but it's the good kind of hurt. The kind of workout that makes you come back for more, making you push yourself further. No pain, no gain right?
I would recommend step aerobics to anyone who wants a great workout that will test your abilities and physical endurance or looking for a way to burn off a few extra calories from this holiday season. The sessions are free for military members and are offered every Tuesday and Thursday, starting at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Weapons Station.
For more information on fitness classes, contact the MWR fitness center on the Weapons Station at 764-4173. For information on the Air Base, call 963-3347.