Category | Arts & Living

Come on and move your body!

Published on January 27, 2009 by Heather Cook

For those of you who can’t stand working out in front of people, this article is mainly for you.

There are the conventional ways of working out: attending classes offered at gyms, lifting weights at a gym, or the traditional treadmill at a gym. But the commonality among the three is this: all the spying eyes! I would like to offer something different: Turbo Jam. Turbo Jam is a fun, innovative way to work out. It combines kickboxing and modern dance moves.

According to Beach Body’s official Web site, Turbo Jam burns 700 calories in 45 minutes. Let’s put this into perspective. You would have to run at 7 mph for one hour to burn the same amount of calories. For you weightlifting nuts, you would have to lift weights vigorously for two hours to burn the same amount. And for those of you who think that walking up the stairs in the parking decks is your exercise for the day, you would have to do that continuously for about one and a half hours.

Turbo Jam burns so many calories because of the Elite 11 moves. Chalene Johnson, the creator of this workout, developed these moves to not only focus on the core, but also to work the lower body and upper body as well.

Another aspect of Turbo Jam that makes it different from other workouts is the ‘Turbo’ segment that is generally right in the middle of the workout. During the ‘Turbo’, you are supposed to bring your energy up and give it your all for a minute and a half. By increasing the intensity of the workout, more calories are burned.

Another way to amp up your workout is to use weighted gloves or resistance bands. Turbo Jam actually has some workouts dedicated to both of these accessories. The gloves and the resistance bands can be found at the local Wal-mart or Target and range from about $10-$30. By using the weighted gloves, you use more muscle, which burns more calories and fat. When doing Turbo Jam, it actually increases the workout effectiveness by 96%. Resistance bands are a great tool to help sculpt the lower body, especially the outer thighs.

There are a wide variety of workouts to chose from. If you want to build your endurance, the Cardio DVDs are great. There is also a Lower Body Jam that focuses on toning the legs, glutes, and butt. If your abs are out of whack, the Ab Jam is a perfect tool. Each DVD is relatively short, ranging from twenty minutes to one hour. Beach Body, Turbo Jam’s official home, sells this workout for about $59.95. For college students, though, Amazon.com is a great Web site that offers better prices for most items. I found my copy for $11 from Amazon’s Web site.

“Hey now,” you gym goers might be thinking. “Going to the gym does have its advantages.” Well, you’re right. There are benefits to working out at a gym. If you are the social type, working out in groups at, for example, KSU’s gym, can be more beneficial. When people work out in groups, they usually are more motivated to finish the workout. They have accountability partners. Members of the gym can check on each other to see the improvements that have been made.

Cynthia Hoyt, a freshman majoring in Business Marketing, said, “I have heard many times that if you work out with a friend, you are more likely to lose weight! Not to mention you get to catch up with said friend while you are doing so!”

KSU’s gym is also useful because it is open Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m.– 12 a.m. Kevin Jourdain, a KSU alumni, said that he enjoyed that “[the gym] was open often when I was done with classes.” On Fridays it is open from 6 a.m.–9 p.m. The gym is even open on Saturday and Sunday.

“What I like the most about KSU’s gym is it’s convenience,” Hoyt said. “They are almost always open and have such a variety of things to do. The gym itself is set up well, to where the heavy lifting weights are downstairs and all the mats and cardio are upstairs. I also like how alumni and any student can continue to come to the gym.”

What many people might not know about KSU’s gym is that there are personal trainers there Monday through Friday available for one-on-one instructional sessions.

Besides working out at a gym and doing Turbo Jam, there is a huge variety of other exercise programs that help keep people healthy.

Ana Galarza, a freshman majoring in Chemistry, said she likes “dancing because you don’t know that you are actually working out.” Hoyt said she also liked “doing yoga/pilates whether it is from a workout video or a class. It is a great way to have a strong abdomen, and it also improves your health.”

It doesn’t matter if you prefer working out alone in an exercise program like Turbo Jam, or in the public’s eye, like in KSU’s gym, exercise is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle.

To get more information on KSU’s group exercise and personal training programs, call the Student Recreation and Wellness Center at (770) 499-3207.