Get Your Fitness On

EVER walked into the gym and the immediate sight of muscled and sweat glistened people lifting weights just makes you feel out of place and question why you ever signed up for the gym in the first place?

Getting fit seems to conjure only images of running on a treadmill, lifting weights or taking part in the spinning class. For some, especially men, going to the gym is aimed at working out and seeing the physical results that come in the form biceps, triceps, internal and external obliques. For others, joining a fitness club has nothing to with showing visible muscle but is rather about keeping fit and healthy.

Gyms like Virgin Active Health Club and Exclusive Fitness and Wellness Gym provide aerobic and anaerobic programmes, through classes like zumba, dance fitness and yoga.

The concept of group fitness classes has been growing and more interest is being showed in this form of exercise. Apart from the big health club chains, smaller fitness clubs are also emerging and catering for those who just want to stay fit and maintain a healthy heart and respiratory rate.

One of these newly established clubs is Pulse Health and Wellness headed by Windhoek’s ‘Queen of Zumba’ Taimi Itembu. Taimi admits that there is a growing interest in taking part in group fitness clashes in Windhoek.

“One of the advantages of group fitness is definitely that it is more therapeutic than doing it all by yourself,” says Taimi.

Apart from the different forms of zumba which form part of most fitness and wellness clubs, Taimi also incorporates other programmes to broaden the options for those who want to take part in group fitness.

“Group fitness is a great and fun way to keep fit and healthy. Firstly, we are social beings and because of that, it is always nice to exercise as a group,” Taimi said.

“It is also a great way of meeting new people. You start motivating each other and in that way you stay committed to keeping fit rather than having to do it all on your own.”

Since group fitness involves working with a group of people who, although all have the same foundational goal to keep fit, may seek different end results. Independent fitness instructor Alexander Swartz says it is important to communicate with each client and try and cater to their needs.

“One of the most important things we emphasise is going at your own pace. When I see someone doing something wrong or struggling a bit, I will always ask if everyone is alright and point how to do something right without pointing out anyone,” Taimi says.

She adds that it is important as a trainer to keep the correct form while instructing to do away with any health risks that may occur in terms of injury.

This is an important element of professional instruction as with the growth in popularity of health and fitness, more clubs are opening which opens the door for more fitness instructors, some of whom are unqualified.

Since exercise is high risk for serious injuries, Taimi, who has a group and zumba fitness certificate, admits that there are serious health risks when being trained by an unqualified instructor.

“You can get serious back or knee injuries. I sometimes have pregnant women in my classes and I need to know how to train them the right way to make sure their health is not at risk.”

If the sight of weights and heavy gym equipment is not your cup of tea and you love the more fun side of life and want to keep fit, group fitness is definitely for you.

When taking on dance fitness, it is important to know the difference between a dance class and a dance fitness class, especially for medical reasons, but also to make sure you yield the results you are seeking.

YouTube has dance workout videos that you can do at home, but first consult a certified fitness instructor to advise you on the medical precautions to take.

There’s no excuse to avoid getting fit. Not your phobia for weights or trepidation for treadmills. From ladies gyms to outdoor gyms, boot camps and yoga and pilates classes, getting fit and healthy is easier and more affordable than ever.

So get moving!

Types of group fitness programmes (all offered at Pulse and Wellness)

Ombazu is a high intensity workout for toning, strength and cardio. It consists of exercising to African beats.

Using zumba toning sticks or light weights, this type of zumba combines strength and resistance training with dance moves and using a chair as your dance partner.

If endurance and cardio are your main concern then this programme is perfect for you. Exercising to Caribbean rhythms and sounds, the workout is a combination of low and high intensity dance moves in an interval style workout.

Not that common in the country yet, Taimi explains that HIIT is a short and intense version of a bootcamp workout (30 minutes). Because of the intensity, it yields even better results than the traditional bootcamp programmes.

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