The YMCA of Oakville is offering virtual classes to anyone looking to stay fit during this lockdown. The classes include HIIT, Gentle Fit, Strength Training, Zumba, and many many more. All classes are led by YMCA-certified instructors. Best of all, the YMCA is offering a free class to those skeptical of the virtual classes.
To get started with your free trial you need to go to YMCA of Oakville Schedules and press the free trial button on the website. If you are happy with your free class you can sign up for classes by going to customer service and get the virtual package which is $47.76 + HST. Participants will have to use the mywellness app in order to book their times.
Over the last week, I took part in some classes online through Zoom. 60 minute classes start with a 5-10 minute warmup along with a 5 minute cool down. The classes I took were:
- Athletic Conditioning
- Gentle Fit
- HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
- Strength Training
Athletic Conditioning
The first class that I took was Athletic Conditioning and it was by far the most challenging class. Even though Athletic Conditioning had a warmup, you could tell from the start that this class was going to be very intensive and require a lot of energy. It was hard but extremely rewarding. Most of the exercises were cardio, but there were some with weights with the aim of gaining strength.
Gentle Fit
Gentle Fit was calmer, less intense. This slower paced workout combined light cardio with stretching. Gentle Fit was a really good way to recover from the previous day's intense Athletic Conditioning workout.
HIIT
Then the next day bright and early I did HIIT, which stands for high intensity interval training. HIIT is a sequence of intervals where you exercise as hard as you can for a set time, rest for set time and then repeat. For HIIT the class exercised 20 seconds and was followed by a 10 second rest. The intervals repeated for the entire workout.
The workout consisted of major cardio exercises along with some exercises that included weights.
One that comes to mind is an exercise that had the people in the class do a cardio workout like mountain climbers - we would then have to grab a five pound weight and punch up in the air to get good tension on our biceps and triceps. (I remember having to move slightly to the left when doing the punch exercise so I wouldn’t punch the ceiling.)
Just like Athletic Training, it was extremely worthwhile and made you feel accomplished and ready to take on the rest of your day.
Strength Training
Finally, the Strength Training class offered many different core and arm exercises. One that stands out is when I lay on my back and pulled my waist up so I was on an angle. I then lifted weights in a triangle like formation where I started with one on both sides and then met them both up at the top of the triangle.
I was able to talk to my Strength Training instructor and asked him why people should join these virtual classes. He said, "It’s a good way to keep your exercise consistent and I think it’s also a big boost for mental health. With not a lot going on right now this provides a relief to your mental health and also incorporates the benefits of exercise."
This experience was unique but very cool. I would recommend the virtual YMCA fitness classes if you are looking to get in shape during the pandemic.