Rec-Plex Features

 

 

Local Mom Loses 100 lbs., Gains New Energy with ‘Amazing’ Kettlebell Class

 

Oct. 28, 2011

 

One bell-shaped piece of equipment, one classroom, so many benefits.

 

“It’s the greatest thing you guys have come up with,” Shelly Scopel says of Kettlebell class at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.

 

Shelly, a local Mom of three and a practicing attorney, has shed 100 pounds in a year through kettlebell classes and diet. As Shelly puts it, “Doing kettlebell is very simple, it’s just not easy. It’s the beauty of a simple kettlebell swing that works your whole body. What they get into that one half-hour, it’s amazing.”

 

The kettlebell basically is a weighted ball with a handle. At the Rec-Plex, a professional trainer leads each class through a series of exercises moving the kettlebell in various ways, often swinging the ball to and fro. Because of the weight of the kettlebell and the constant motion, the exercise both strengthens muscles and boosts cardiovascular endurance, packing a wallop of a workout in a short period of time. All types of people can, and do, benefit from the class.

 

“Where else could you find a retired grandmother, a firefighter, a flight attendant, a 17-year-old varsity soccer player, and a Mom of three like myself all working out together and all sweating like crazy while (Rec-Plex trainers) cheer you on, saying, ‘You can do anything for 20 seconds!’” Shelly says.

 

She believes that the professional trainers at the Rec-Plex who teach the class “truly, truly are the best. They make it easy to understand. Every class is different. It’s never the same class twice.”

 

Beginner classes are required for anyone who doesn’t have experience exercising with the kettlebell. There, you’ll learn the techniques and skills needed to safely move on to the faster-paced Kettlebell class at the Rec-Plex. Morning, evening and weekend classes are available.

 

For Shelly, all of her Kettlebell classes are no extra charge, because her family has a Rec-Plex GOLD PLUS membership. Kettlebell is one of a number of FREE classes available to all GOLD PLUS members.

 

Shelly’s putting to good use the extra energy she’s gained with kettlebell. She enjoys backpacking with her family and stays active with her three teen kids, all soccer players. “That’s the other beauty about kettlebell: it increases endurance and fitness, so I can keep up with those three. Otherwise, I’d be sitting at home while they were out doing stuff,” she said.

 

A Kettlebell class schedule can be found on the Rec-Plex Classes & Programs web page.

 

Kettlebell classes require advance registration—you don’t have to be a Rec-Plex member to take Kettlebell. Register online using Rec-Connect.

 

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GOLD PLUS Member Trims Down and Does Triathlon

Sept. 1, 2011

 

Maybe you’re like Mark Shaffer—in good shape once upon a time, perhaps even an athlete. Then, after high school, life happens, you’re raising a family, and you gain weight.

 

“I played water polo from 8th grade all the way through high school,” says Mark, 33, now a father of three. “I was 164 pounds, 6-foot-2, and a real bean pole when I graduated. But, then the metabolism slowed down and my weight made the slow crawl up.”

 

Mark, a resident of St. Peters, tried starting a workout routine from time to time, but found that the distractions at home made it difficult—and chronic knee pain was problematic. For Christmas in 2009, Mark gave his family a St. Peters Rec-Plex GOLD PLUS membership. He weighed 280 pounds at the time.

 

“I wasn’t happy with my weight gain. I decided to make a legitimate run at making changes in my life—living better, eating better, setting a better example for my kids,” Mark recalls.

 

By using the Rec-Plex’s facilities and some of the free classes available to GOLD PLUS members, Mark has lost 55 pounds so far, feels much better about himself and even completed the 2011 Rec-Plex Spring Triathlon. The triathlon is an endurance event where competitors swim 500 meters at the Rec-Plex, bike 21 miles along flat farmland, and run 5 miles through City parks. Mark tried some of the Rec-Plex’s Indoor Triathlons during the winter to help him prepare. (Learn more about Rec-Plex Triathlons.)

 

“The Rec-Plex has been a great, great help for me,” Mark says. “I know that if I’m going to get myself up and go there, I’m going to make use of my time and work hard. The staff has also been helpful and encouraging.”

 

Mark’s family came to cheer him on at his first triathlon, making for some special memories. While running through Covenant Park, Mark slowed down to grab a drink at a water station and soon found his 6-year-old son, Hayden, running with him. “He ran with me along the whole loop of Covenant Park. It made it that much more special,” Mark said.

 

When he joined the Rec-Plex, Mark started by meeting with a Rec-Plex personal trainer who introduced him to the fitness facilities and encouraged him to find the types of activities that would work for him. (Learn more about Rec-Plex personal trainers.)

 

Because of his knee problems, Mark sought low-impact exercise such as swimming laps at the indoor pool, using the elliptical cardio machine and riding Spinning bikes in RPX Cycling classes. He also added Kettlebell classes to his routine for a full-body workout. “There’s not another half-hour workout that has ever come close to Kettlebell,” Mark says. (Learn more about Rec-Plex fitness classes.)

 

RPX Cycling and Kettlebell are both free to GOLD PLUS members. His wife, Tara, and Hayden also have taken classes that are free to GOLD PLUS members. And, the GOLD PLUS membership allows the family to use the Tot Drop babysitting service for free when both parents have a class together.

 

Now that he’s down to 225 pounds, Mark says he’s getting greedy and wants to lose more weight. He’s going to enter various race events and has goals to run a half-marathon in 2012 and a marathon in 2013—and a grueling Ironman Triathlon by the time he reaches 40.

 

“It’s totally a change in perspective,” Mark says. “I look for ways I can get activity in now. For any task, I ask how can I do this with my bike? When I’m grocery shopping, I’m thinking more health-conscious. It’s a complete 180 in perspective from where I was 1-1/2 years ago.”


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Getting Fit with a Little Help from a Friend

(Training Sessions with a Friend)

April 28, 2011

 

Of all the activities you could plan with a friend, getting in shape might be the most lasting and meaningful. Melissa McKay (left) and Julie Sostak (right) are feeling better and stronger after taking advantage of the St. Peters Rec-Plex’s Training Sessions with a Friend.

 

“For us, it is an advantage, because we know each other well enough that we push each other a lot,” Melissa said. “There would probably be a lot of times, if either one of us was by ourselves, we wouldn’t go.”

 

The two women have met twice a week with a certified personal trainer at the Rec-Plex for the past few months. They found that Training Sessions with a Friend are a great deal—not just because it cost them almost half the price of one-on-one sessions, but also because working out together keeps them motivated.

 

“It’s working out great,” Julie said. “It’s been helpful to have a workout partner, because it keeps you more motivated. There’s someone else to be accountable to.”

 

Melissa and Julie are Rec-Plex GOLD PLUS members who already did a lot of cardio exercise together at the Rec-Plex, whether in the cardio room or running on the indoor track or in fitness classes like Kettlebell or RPX Cycling—classes that are FREE to GOLD PLUS members. But, they just didn’t know how to tackle the weight room. “We didn’t know a lot about the strength training machines, or know how to put together a routine that would work out all of our muscles,” Melissa said.

 

This is where personal trainer Sarah Juden (center, in photo) comes in. Sarah says that Melissa and Julie were doing well on their own with cardio exercise, but that doing only cardio without strength training can actually weaken the body. “When you do cardio all the time, and don’t mix in the strength training, you tend to burn a lot of muscle, and you lose more muscle that way. So, it’s important to mix the two together,” Sarah said.

 

Sarah said that Melissa and Julie have really come a long way in their training. “It’s really neat to see them gain this much strength,” she said.

 

The two friends said that Sarah keeps the workouts interesting and fun. “She mixes it up, and keeps you guessing,” Melissa said. “The fact that we don’t know what’s going to happen makes the hour fly by.”

 

 

The bottom line is that both Melissa and Julie feel better about themselves.

 

Julie said, “We definitely wanted to lose some pounds—that was a fringe benefit—but we wanted to feel better and get more active. And, we’ve done that.”

 

If you’re considering Training Sessions with a Friend, Sarah suggests that you work out with someone who is at a similar fitness level. Of course, your schedules also will have to match up. Melissa and Julie credit Sarah for having a flexible schedule to match theirs.

 

Learn more about personal training at the Rec-Plex, includng fees, in the latest issue of the LEISURE LINE recreation and arts guide.

 

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Rec-Plex Member is the ‘BIGGEST WINNER!’

Jan. 25, 2011

 

Sarah Brook was no fan of the gym until she joined the St. Peters Rec-Plex. Now, she is the “BIGGEST WINNER of St. Charles County.”

 

As a new regular at the Rec-Plex, Sarah slimmed down her body weight by 11.9% to win the first-ever BIGGEST WINNER of St. Charles County challenge offered by BJC HealthCare, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Progress West HealthCare Center. A total of 425 people countywide entered the program for a chance to win prizes.

 

Sarah used the Rec-Plex’s expanded cardio and strength training rooms, FREE aerobics classes and aqua aerobics to help her lose 32 pounds in just 12 weeks.

 

“It made me feel really good,” Sarah said about winning—and losing weight.

 

Sarah, her father, Charles, and her stepmother, Debra, were looking for a way to get fit together when they read about the BIGGEST WINNER of St. Charles County challenge in a local newspaper. They entered as a family, and Sarah joined the Rec-Plex, where Charles and Debra were already members.

 

“I always used to say, ‘I hate the gym!’” Sarah said. “I’ve gone from not doing any workouts at all to sometimes doing two workouts in a day.”

 

The great news is that Sarah continued to keep up her workout routine after the contest ended. Sarah is a big fan of the Rec-Plex’s Zumba and Hip-Hop group fitness classes, which are part of the monthly session of aerobics classes available FREE to Rec-Plex members. She also takes some aqua aerobics classes. And, on days she doesn’t have a class, Sarah takes advantage of a variety of state-of-the-art equipment in the Rec-Plex’s expansive cardio and strength training rooms. Sarah also watches her calorie intake in a style similar to the Weight Watchers program.

 

“I was actually really surprised when I won,” Sarah says. “I knew that I had been doing well, and I knew that I had been losing a lot of weight, but I was surprised I was the winner.”

 

Sarah won a two-night stay at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, a $100 gift certificate to use at the Chase, and a $75 Visa gift card for her use at a downtown venue.

 

Karen Prideaux, a spokesperson for Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital, said that the BIGGEST WINNER of St. Charles County challenge is part of BJC HealthCare’s efforts to promote healthy lifestyles and to combat obesity.

 

Karen says she was impressed that Sarah’s family joined together as part of a family exercise. “That support system,” says Prideaux, “is really important.”

 

The BIGGEST WINNER of St. Charles County contest is open to all adults 18 or over who live in St. Charles County. Participants weigh in weekly at one of a number of locations throughout the county, including the Rec-Plex and branches of the St. Charles City-County Library District. Weigh-ins showed that the 425 people who joined the first challenge lost a combined 1,563 pounds. Learn more about the program at www.bjsph.org.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REC-PLEX.


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Variety Spices Up the Rec-Plex

 From the Summer 2010 issue of St. Peters' Leisure Line recreational & cultural events guide

 

Kevin Hermann doesn’t want the same exact workout each and every day. This is why the St. Peters Rec-Plex is perfect for him.

 

“You’ve got all kinds of options, depending on what kind of day you’re having, depending on what you’re wanting to do,” Kevin says.

 

Kevin may work out on weight equipment or cardio machines. If he wants to take stress off his joints, he’ll use an elliptical machine in the cardio room. Or, he may want to head to the pool and swim laps.

 

“When I had shin splints, I’d use the elliptical. Or, I’d go swimming to take the wear and tear off my knees,” says the St. Charles resident.

 

Kevin also works out with a personal trainer, takes fitness classes and tries new things—like this winter, when he completed several Indoor Triathlons at the Rec-Plex.

 

Variety is what spices up your workout at the Rec-Plex. There’s plenty to do for individuals and families alike.

 

Jason and Kim Sallee of St. Charles have found plenty of classes to fit their needs and even a fitness class perfect for their 6-year-old daughter Paige. The Sallees purchased the Rec-Plex GOLD PLUS membership, which provides all the benefits of an annual pass plus plenty of FREE fitness classes and other programs, FREE Tot Drop babysitting, and FREE ice skate rentals, plus discounts on golf.

 

“I like the flexibility,” Jason says of the Rec-Plex. “I like the different options for classes and different times for classes, and the different variety of activities in general. Depending on what you’re looking for, there’s usually something here that fits the bill.”

 

Jason and Kim each take Kettlebell and Rec-Plex Xtreme Cycling classes. Kim has also taken aerobics (including aqua aerobics) and a Power Yoga class that she loves. Paige, meanwhile, has taken swim lessons at the Rec-Plex, and Mom says Paige loves her Exer-FUN class, which was created for ages 5-8.

 

“I go most days,” Kim says. “The Rec-Plex offers a lot of variety for anybody. It offers so many options it would match anyone’s interest, skill or ability.”

 

 

Cindy Deutsch of St. Peters works out regularly in the Rec-Plex’s group fitness classes and fitness rooms. She loves the variety of Rec-Plex classes, top-notch equipment and friendly staff.

 

Also a GOLD PLUS member, Cindy says, “I do basically everything—Rec-Plex Xtreme Cycling, Kettlebell class, a private trainer, lifting weights, using the cardio room. I take a lot of aerobics classes. I started doing Yoga, and Power Pilates is really great.”

 

Cindy has relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis and says that “exercise helps me to live a normal life.” Her healthy, active lifestyle at the Rec-Plex also helped her quit smoking after 38 years.

 

“There is a lot to choose from at the Rec-Plex,” Cindy says. “Plus, all the encouragement, help and support you get from both staff and other members is fantastic.”

 

It’s this welcoming nature that drew St. Charles resident Tim Lange to the Rec-Plex for a big transformation in his life. Within a year he lost an astounding 230 pounds. In addition to a regimented diet, Tim took advantage of the Rec-Plex’s workout facilities and a Rec-Plex personal trainer.

 

"Primarily, I use the cardio room and weight room. I use the track a lot, too. Occasionally, I swim laps in the pool, and I just try to mix it up a bit,” Tim says. “There is always something you can do.”

 

When he started his membership at the Rec-Plex in January 2009, Tim didn’t know how to use the equipment, but he says Rec-Plex staffers were friendly and helpful. With the help of personal trainer sessions, Tim was able to complete a half-marathon in September 2009.

 

“I’ve made a lot of progress,” Tim says. “I’m making changes to live a better life.”

 

Learn more about membership options at the St. Peters Rec-Plex.


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