Turkey Day Workout offers chance to burn off Thanksgiving goodies
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| Last year's Turkey Day Workout drew a crowd for the Zumba portion of the cardio workout. |
Before getting stuffed on Thanksgiving staples — turkey, pumpkin pie with double whipped cream, three kinds of sweet potato casserole — why not hit the gym to work off some of the extra calories you’re sure to consume?
For those wishing to keep their waistlines in check at the beginning of the long holiday season, the Newton YMCA will offer its annual Turkey Day Workout from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
“It’s a two-hour workout that’s broken up into three sessions,” said Natalie Wells, fitness coordinator at the Y. “The first two sessions are cardio, and the third session is geared toward toning.”
According to Wells, the Y has offered the holiday workout “in some way, shape or form” for about five years. It used to be held in conjunction with the Turkey Trot 5K, which was last weekend, but staff members felt it could be more beneficial to break up the two events.
“We’ve gotten more participants because some people who are not geared toward running are now able to participate without feeling obligated to run,” Wells said.
For each 45-minute cardio session, participants choose from the following activities: cycling, circuit or Zumba. For cycling, which is a combination of hill climbs, sprints and other challenging drills, the number of bikes is limited, so class size will be on a first-come, first served basis. Circuit training will take workout enthusiasts through a series of weight exercises, while Zumba offers easy-to-follow dance steps to a Latin beat.
The final 20-minute toning session is comprised either of core toning or a stretch/flow class similar to yoga or Pilates.
People of all fitness levels are encouraged to participate in the event, which costs $20 for members and $35 for non-members. And new this year is daycare for busy parents who need a good sweat session before the rest of the family arrives to gobble down turkey and watch football. Cost is $2 per child.
“This is the first year that we’ve offered daycare — so no excuses!” Wells said. “A lot of parents the husbands and wives would like to be able to work out but one of them would have to stay home to watch the kids. Hopefully, (daycare) will open it up to families being able to participate.”
The Y will be closed for the rest of Thanksgiving day and only will open for Turkey Day Workout participants.
Amy Martens can be contacted at (641) 792-3121 ext. 426 or via email at amartens@newtondailynews.com.
