“My favorite thing about yoga is that it’s a great way to stay in tune with your body and depending on the level of difficulty, can also help you stay in shape,” remarked senior Lisa Yanchuck, who helps organize the Yoga Club at Edina High School. “It’s important to have some way to center your mind periodically, and yoga is a great way to do it.”
Yanchuck described Yoga Club, which started in February, as an opportunity for “relaxation and stress release, since most Edina students experience stress in their lives in one form or another.”
According to Olive Mclean, the president of the Yoga Club, the group usually meets to practice “in the gymnastics gym on the first floor across from the main gym, Mondays from 3:20 to 4:20.”
One day a week not enough? Southdale YMCA and LifeTime Fitness both offer free classes for members. At CorePower Yoga on 7495 France Avenue South, prices are discounted for full-time students from the usual $19 to $13 for a drop-in class.
Looking for more ways to work up a sweat? Try Zumba! Junior Sydney Domke attends Zumba class twice a week at LifeTime Fitness. Domke remarked, “I would definitely recommend going, especially with friends! It’s a fun way to be crazy and exercise all at the same time.”
During a typical Zumba class, a certified instructor warms up participants with stretching exercises before embarking on various dance routines, all to the beat of Latin music or popular hip-hop songs. The class then ends with a cool down and more stretching.
Senior Hannah Burns, a licensed Zumba instructor, described her Zumba addiction. “I love Zumba because the music is awesome, and it’s a fun, easy and effective workout! You get lost in the music and just have fun with it.”
Zumba classes are offered at both the YMCA and LifeTime Fitness, so stop by to try it out.
Of course, any kind of exercise is great, but yoga and Zumba definitely have their own unique advantages. As Mclean pointed out, yoga “isn’t based on competition” but instead is a way to “channel all your energy into making yourself a stronger and happier person.”
