Resolve to join the Exercise Club
by Donna Jones Pelkie
The end of the year is near, and that mean it’s almost time to make a New Year’s resolution to get fit. The Argonne Exercise Club is ready to help employees meet their fitness goals.
The club offers a variety of classes every week including yoga, Pilates, kickboxing and step aerobics. At least one class is held daily, and many days there are two. Classes are held in the exercise room of the lab’s fitness center, Building 200, Room K131 and take place either from 8:05 a.m. – 9 a.m. or 11:40 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.
Dues are $30 per calendar year and cover attendance at any and all classes, as well as the group’s holiday party and annual picnic. “The fee alone is amazing,” said club President Rosemary Stanton (FMS). However, the most important thing she wants people to know about the club is it’s convenient. “Go on your lunch, and it’s done for the day. It gets you out of your office and is a stress reliever,” Stanton said.
All of the club’s instructors are volunteers. Janae Ernst (XSD) teaches several classes weekly both in the morning and at lunchtime. She likes the club because it doesn’t have a gym feel, and members are all ages and fitness levels.
“I try to teach in an inclusive way,” Ernst said. She has a general idea at the start of each class what routine she’ll teach, but makes daily modifications to suit the experience and fitness level of the participants. “Each person should go at their own pace, take breaks and stop to take a drink if needed. It’s a welcoming environment,” she said.
Stanton said potential members are welcome to observe a class or two before joining and paying dues. The club will prorate dues for students and those who join late in the calendar year.
Both Stanton and Ernst said the club is open to ideas for new classes and anyone with ideas should contact them. Stanton also said the group is in need of a new sound system, and she is looking for an employee who can give her some expert advice on what might fit the group’s needs and budget.
For more information or to discuss class ideas, contact Stanton at [email protected] or ext. 2-1142 or Ernst at [email protected] or ext. 2-7415. To join the club, click on the membership form on the group’s blog at http://blogs.anl.gov/exercise/