It's a 'classy' season for Longboat fitness offerings

Residents, snowbirds and visitors have lots of options for staying in shape this season. Public classes are offered at the Longboat Key Education Center and the town’s Bayfront Park Recreation Center.

The following are some highlights.

Longboat Key Education Center
Yoga: The addition of a new class on Thursdays means there is yoga every weekday morning at the Education Center. Emme Shapiro is the instructor. Her “Gentle Kripalu Yoga” class covers meditation, breathing techniques and relaxation as well as standard yoga postures and is appropriate for all levels.
The Friday yoga class also has a new instructor and format. Dotti Cibotti-McCourt teaches “Integral ® Yoga,” a synthesis of the various branches of the art. This is a gentle hatha approach for all levels.
Yoga enthusiasts will want to know about “The Bhagavad Gita — a Universal Approach to Resolving Life’s Most Difficult Questions.” Author and educator Bob Waxman will teach this new four-class series at 1 p.m. Wednesdays starting Feb. 1; $75 for members, $85 for non-members.

Workshops: Elizabeth Bergmann is new to the Education Center faculty. She is offering two intriguing workshops. Monday, Jan. 9 she will present “The Legacy of Martha Graham — Genius of the 20th Century,” $15 for members, $20 for non-members. On Saturday, Jan. 14 there is “Movement for Life,” based on Feldenkrais principles and focused on developing core strength. It is appropriate for all levels; $30 for members, $35 for non-members. Bergmann recently retired as dance director at Harvard University.

Dance. Beginning in late January, there will be a new class with Felipe Cava, the area’s Latin and dance aerobics expert. The schedule is being finalized, but it will start in late January. Lovers of Zumba and its kin will not want to miss this opportunity.

The nuts and bolts. Advance registration is required for Education Center classes and seminars. The winter term runs from Jan. 4 through Feb. 29; fitness classes are typically $88 for members and $104 for non-members for the eight-week term but they may be taken individually. Register in person, by phone at 383-8811 or on the website, www.lbkeducationcenter.org.

Bayfront Park Recreation Center
Four more flavors of dance. There is also a new instructor at Bayfront Park. Jared Falgowski will be teaching five days a week at 5 p.m. — ballroom on Monday, Zumba on Tuesday and Thursday, Latin on Wednesday and salsa on Friday.

New options from Barbara Anderson. Anderson has tweaked the schedule of classes that she offers year-round. The 8 a.m. time slot, formerly designated “Burn ’n’ Build,” will now be “20/20/20” on Tuesdays — equal parts of cardio aerobics, time strength-building circuits and core and stretch. On Thursdays it is “Cardio Blast,” a high-energy workout to improve total body strength with a balanced blend of aerobics and strength training. She continues to teach “Power Hour Plus” on Saturdays, but the “plus” 30 minutes is now optionally available as a “Dynamic Stretch” class. The last half-hour is $4 for members and $6 for non-members.

The rest of the schedule. Sherry Fideler’s tai chi class has moved from Monday mornings to 3 p.m. Mondays. Her “Muscles and More” and “Young at Heart” sessions continue in their established time slots, as do Nia with Gail Condrick and my own Pilates and Joy of Stretch Yoga classes.

The nuts and bolts. Rec Center classes are “walk in” — no reservations required. Fees range from $8 to $10 for members and $13 to $15 for non-members. Membership for one year is $25 for individual residents; $35 for non-residents; $45 resident couples; and $60 family.

Molly Schechter is an ACE-certified personal trainer with a specialty in older adult fitness plus YogaFit Instructor Training, SCF Yoga Fundamentals and Power Pilates™ Mat Certifications. She teaches classes at the Bayfront Park Recreation Center and the Longboat Key Club. E-mail her at [email protected]t.

Click here to view the 2012 Winter Season Fitness Class schedule.