Haleigh Patch
Equinox Staff
In a mixture between yoga and pilates that incorporates strength, versatility, flexibility and precision of movement into one dynamic class, there is a new group fitness class being held at the Spaulding Gym, called Yogalates. Yogalates works out the core, incorporates weights and focuses on improving posture.
The classes are taught by former Keene State College student Stephanie Clark. Clark said she graduated in 2011 from KSC with a degree in athletic training. Following graduation, she interned at Florida Gulf Coast University as an athletic trainer for women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s cheerleading. She then moved back to New Hampshire and worked with a company called Access Sports Medicine, where she obtained a head athletic training role at the Dublin School for three years. She worked as a dorm parent, advisor and science teacher where she would run activities like yoga class, along with creating weekend activities for students. While Clark was at Dublin, she said she was working on her master’s degree in athletic training. She now lives in Keene and is an athletic trainer here at KSC.
“It’s been quite the experience working where I went to school, it’s nice to see Keene with a new perspective,” said Clark.
Clark said she also used to teach pilates and foam rolling while she was a student, and she also taught in the community. This is her second year teaching this class; however, it was not always called Yogalates. It used to be focused primarily on yoga and weights, which is still included in Yogalates. It is meant to make the body feel good while incorporating the benefits of both yoga and pilates.
“It is not your average class, it is meant to help people learn how to stretch and strengthen at the same time and work with fascia in the body,” Clark said.
According to Myofascial Release Treatment Centers and Seminars, Fascia is connective tissue that wraps around the entire body and fuses it together. It also helps protect muscle groups, organs and the body as a whole.
Clark said the most people she has ever had attend her Yogalates class was nine, because it is so early in the morning [6:30 a.m.] — which might sound unappealing to some students. She normally has about four or five people come on a weekly basis, and it is mostly faculty or student athletes. Clark said the class is beneficial and worth it to those who want to attend.
“It is a warm and enjoyable class, the best way to understand it is to come and participate,” Clark said.
Lynn Andrews, Director of Recreational Sports, attends the class every week. Andrews said she used to go to a strength training class with a different trainer. Once that trainer retired, she moved over to Stephanie’s class and has been going since last spring. She said she joined Yogalates to improve balance, core strengthening and flexibility.
There are about ten group fitness classes that Keene offers. Andrews said there is a good mix between student instructors and professional instructors, but certification can be expensive. She said the gym would like to have more classes, but it is based on how many instructors they actually have. “We offer a good amount of classes that both students and faculty can enjoy,” Andrews said.
Director of Admissions Peg Richmond has been attending Clark’s class for two years. She has also gone to spin classes and the Self-care and Flexibility class as well.
Richmond’s goal was to improve her flexibility, which she has done since participating in Yogalates. “This has also been my biggest challenge, because before I started, I had zero flexibility,” said Richmond.
She said there are not a lot of instructors here at the gym, which makes it more challenging to have classes. She loves Clark’s class so much she said she would do it every day if she could.
Yogalates is every Wednesday morning from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. in the Spaulding Gym.
Haleigh Patch can be contacted at
hpatch@kscequinox.com
