City of Nanaimo parks and rec department fitness pass eligible for a number of classes

City of Nanaimo Parks and Recreation is offering a Canada 150 Group Fitness Pass, which can be applied to seven different types of classes. Pictured here, Kim Ross, instructor, left, and city employees Cheryl Krytor, Tara Fedosoff, Kathy Gonzales and Brad Loland. (KARL YU/The News Bulletin)

City of Nanaimo Parks and Recreation department will continue Canada’s 150th birthday celebration with a multi-use fitness pass.

The Canada 150 Group Fitness Pass can be applied to total body conditioning, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), Tabata, evening crunch, super circuit, HIIT to fit and TRX circuit classes.

“We’re celebrating Canada 150 this year and it came at a perfect time for us in parks and rec in fitness in particular because we have so many customers who are really interested in trying either drop-in model or getting more value for their super-user dollars, so we decided to try this out as a form of promotion September through December tied in to Canada 150,” said Tara Fedosoff, city recreation coordinator.

The department is looking to promote classes in the south end of Nanaimo and Oliver Woods Community Centre, said Fedosoff. It wants to reward people that take a lot of classes. The pass costs $52 and $150 for one-month and four-month versions respectively.

The TRX circuit class uses suspension trainers and is a body weight focused class with circuits, said Gonzales.

The total body conditioning course will use medicine balls and free weights and is available for people of all fitness levels.

High-intensity interval training class uses exercises that enhance cardiovascular, core and strength with various gym equipment, such as bosu balls and kettlebells, in a circuit-style class and HIIT to fit serves as an introduction.

The Tabata class is HIIT training intended to get the heart rate going.

Super circuit also uses circuit training and evening crunch boosts metabolism by burning calories.

Classes may be intense, but people seem to enjoy that, said Fedosoff.

“I’m observing a change where people participating in group fitness are really enjoying the concept of a circuit or timed intense workout because it’s challenging them more and there getting more strength benefits,” said Fedosoff.

“It’s also less intimidating,” said Kim Ross, HIIT, total body conditioning and super circuit instructor. “You’re working in a group, but in your own individual stations and you feed off the energy of everyone in the class rotating through the circuit.”

Total body conditioning is held Monday, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Rotary Field House; high-intensity interval training, Monday and Wednesday, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Nanaimo Aquatic Centre; Tabata, Tuesday, 9:15-10:15 a.m., Oliver Woods; evening crunch class, Tuesday, Thursday, 6:45-7:30 p.m., Oliver Woods; TRX circuit, Friday, 9:15-10:15 a.m., Oliver Woods; super circuit, Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Beban social centre.

reporter@nanaimobulletin.com