ABOUT THE GODDARD AEROBIC FITNESS CLUB
GODDARD
AEROBIC
FITNESS
CLUB
Welcome to the Goddard Aerobics Fitness Club. You will find information on our club and classes we offer. We welcome any comments on our classes, our club, or our web page. Send us an e-mail: Terri.
Note: In the event of inclement weather, Goddard Aerobics Fitness Club classes follow the Prince George's County school schedule, i.e., when PG County schools are closed, GAFC classes are cancelled, even if Goddard is open and work schedule is code green. (If PG County schools close early, this also means GAFC classes will likely be cancelled.) For futher information, contact Terri.
Our next session of 2008 will feature two classes: Body Sculpting, starting on May 13, and Jazzercise, starting May 14. Please see our classes page for more information.
ABOUT THE GODDARD AEROBIC FITNESS CLUBGAFC was founded in 1987 as a club under the Goddard Employess Welfare Association (GEWA). Our president, treasurer, and secretary are elected officials and our vice president is an appointed official by virtue of being the lead instructor. We hold our annual meeting in the Spring, electing new officers biannually for a two-year term. The lead instructor is responsible for class programming, to ensure the classes offered are safe and effective and meet the needs of our participants. The lead instructor must be certified by a recognized aerobics certification organization. Our current officers are:
President - Bonnie Seaton
Membership dues are $5 per year, renewed every September, which cover supplies for meetings.
KNOW YOUR RISK FACTORS:
Smoking, heart disease or history of, high cholesterol, overweight, diabetes,
hypoglycemia, hypertension, pregnancy. Current guidelines suggest a medical
screening if you are either an older exerciser (over 50), or if you have two
or more of the risk factors. Please notify your instructor of ANY of these
or if you have physical limitations which may impact your exercising, such
as knee or back problems, arthritis, or other joint or muscle problems.
CLASSESOur fitness classes are held at Goddard Space Flight Center. Class format considers the environment of the cafeteria for programming.
Classes are nominally scheduled for 4:30 Monday and Thursday, each lasting one hour. We offer three or four sessions each year. The number of classes vary each session depending on season and other events. Within a session, most of the same music is used, with routines designed to increase intensity and avoid boredom, not only for your mind, but for your muscles, as well. For more information on current classes or upcoming sessions, please check our classes page.
Remember to work at your own pace! All fitness levels and ages are welcome! No dance experience is necessary!
Each class begins with a 5-min warm-up segment. Then you'll be dancing your way through high-energy aerobic routines sure to get your blood pumping, strength your heart and lungs, increase your endurance, decrease stress, burn calories, and yeah, have some fun! The instructor will demonstrate low/high impact and intensity options as well as safety modifications. The routines will incorporate moves from jazz dance, pilates, kick-boxing, yoga, and much more! Remember that everyone learns at a different pace, and everyone messes up at some point. The important thing is to have fun and keep moving!
Each class will also have a strength training segment to help you strengthen and tone all the important areas of your body!
At the end of each class, the cool-down stretch segment will help you elongate your muscles to increase flexibility, return your heart rate to normal and prepare you for whatever awaits you on the other side of the door.
A water bottle, supportive shoes, and exercise mat are recommended.
The Body Sculpting Toning class is designed to offer more intense calisthenic exercises for the stomach, legs, and arms than those in our aerobics classes. Some of the exercises will be "advanced" in that they will not offer complete back support. During these exercises (which will be pointed out in class, please do not overexert your own limits.) If the exercise is too advanced for you at this time, let the instructor know and she/he will work with you and suggest other exercises to do during that portion of class.
The class atmosphere is casual and relaxed so you can concentrate on working your muscles. The music tempo is selected to obtain maximum use of your muscles. We will begin with a warm-up consisting of stretches and limbering moves, which is very important for getting your muscles ready to exercise. If you arrive late to class, please make sure you warm-up before exercising. The warm-up will be followed by exercises to work the rectus abdominus (stomach), the obliques (the muscles on the front/sides of your stomach, the inner and outer thigh (adductor and abductor, respectively), the front and back thigh (quadriceps and hamstring, respectively), the buttocks (gluteus maximus), and the arms (biceps, triceps, trapezoids, lattisimus major, pectoralis, and deltoids). The idea is to isolate the muscle and use very slow, controlled, deliberate movements to work the muscle. Proper posture, as the instructor will demonstrate, is a must. Many exercises will be performed using weights, available in class.