Health, Well-Being, and Fitness
Fitness Class Policy
There is a minimum attendance policy for adult fitness classes. If this
number is not reached, or if there is a facility schedule change, the YMCA
reserves the right to cancel a class. Class size is determined by room
accommodations and safety policies. Some classes may close due to full
enrollment. If this happens the YMCA will be glad to place your name on
a waiting list. All full high school members may take adult fitness classes.
There are no make-ups for holidays and canceled classes.
We offer a diverse selection of classes devoted to developing spirit, mind and body. Please click the link below to view our offerings.
mind body spirit class schedule
Active Older Adults – Going Strong 1
This hour-long exercise class in the gym is geared for the active and motivated adult. It includes low impact aerobics, strength training, and floor work.
Active Older Adult – Going Strong 2
This 45 minute exercise class in the GP room is geared for the active adult 55+ years of age. It includes mild, low impact aerobics, and strength training.
Balancing Act
Lessen your chance of falling by learning how to increase range of joint movement through better agility related exercises. These are mostly stationary movements while standing, to enhance coordination and flexibility with some strength training elements. This class is for people 55 years and older.
AOA Pool Fitness
Enjoy our warm water workout with an instructor guiding you through exercises that will benefit individuals with arthritis, back concerns, and chronic joint and muscle stiffness. Exercises will encourage full range of movement and resistance exercises to help build muscle. This is a low intensity water workout for individuals 55 and older. This class has been endorsed by the Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program.
ZUMBA
Be part of the Zumba family and enjoy some group fun. This cardio workout is more like a party while you move to Latin vibe music fused with cardio dance steps.
Adult Pool Fitness
Pool Fitness classes are designed for people of all ages to utilize the buoyant qualities of the water to enhance their physical fitness. It is an ideal form of exercise to increase physical strength and endurance without overheating and putting stress on the joints. No swimming skills are required in these classes, but participants should feel comfortable in the water. Class can accommodate beginner through advanced. Please let the instructor know if you need modifications due to an injury or you want options to increase the intensity of your workout.
Hi/Lo Combo
Be with your peers in this class that features rhythmic floor routines with the occasional step routine and free weights. The goal of this class is to improve all elements of fitness: cardio vascular, muscular, strength, and flexibility. Keep the impact on the joints low but the intensity high as you workout at your own level.
Saturday Instructor Choice
Enjoy the surprise every Saturday with a different workout that will definitely be high energy. A combination of floor aerobics, step and floor exercises.
Body Shaping
Intimidated by free weights and lifting, yet know that building muscle will help you lose weight along with cardio? This non-aerobic class will cue you through the right body posture and movement to gain muscle strength for your entire body. The instructor will demonstrate how to use the equipment from hand weights, body bars, bands, exercuffs, stability balls, and steps. Learn to feel strong as you sculpt and tone your body with weights.
Group Cycling
Experience your cycle class on a LeMond Rev Master stationary bike. Instructors go over proper seat adjustments and set up, as they guide you through a warm-up steady uptempo cadence, sprints, climbs, and a cool down. You control the resistance to make the pedaling as easy or as difficult as you choose. This is an enjoyable group setting with some classes, (weather permitting), held outside.
Tai Chi 
Tai Chi, a form of exercise developed in ancient China and practiced worldwide, has demonstrated under rigorous scientific studies to have a powerful effect on health. Known for its slow, fluid movement, the central premise in Tai Chi is to integrate the mind and body. The ongoing practice of Tai Chi is thought to enable qi or life force to flow powerfully and smoothly within the body. It has been shown in scientific studies to promote balance, flexibility, muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness as well as increased levels of psychological well-being and reduction of anxiety and stress. Endorsed by the Arthritis Foundation, this particular style of Tai Chi – Tai Chi for Arthritis, developed by Dr. Paul Lam, a family physician and world leader in the field of Tai Chi for health improvement, has been shown to be particularly effective for people who have arthritis and/or joint problems.
Two different programs are offered:
Arthritis Foundation Tai Chi Program: Monday and Wednesdays 11:15AM-12Noon and Fridays 9:30AM-10:15AM –
choose one or two or all three days.
Tai Chi for Health: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-5:15PM (a progressive class, requiring twice a week participation)
To read more about this program and the benefits of Tai Chi please click the following link:
For more information, please contact Rosann Scalise at ext 302 or rscalise@westfieldymca.org
YOGA
Decrease stress, relax your mind and strengthen your body with gentle yoga. Practice physical postures and yoga poses as you create a balance between the body, mind, and spirit. These classes are geared for all levels with chair yoga suitable for beginners.
PiYo
PiYo is the perfect fusion of Pilates and Yoga exercises. This dynamic fusion workout is easy on the joints, yet delivers strength, balance, agility and flexibility in one unique calorie burning workout. It’s the perfect blend of many disciplines: sports training, core conditioning, dance, stretch, and athletic drills. The dynamic blend of movement increases strength, core stability, and agility. This workout provides an incredible experience.
Boot Camp
Boot Camp gives you the benefit of mixing up the routine to keep those muscles guessing. This heart pumping class uses cardio drills: running, jump, roping, stepping, with a challenging free weight routine. It’s to increase muscular endurance and strength. Boot camp incorporates various equipment: body bars, stability balls, steps, bands etc.
Cardio Shape-Up
Get the most from your workout with this class. Fused cardio moves with strength training exercises. Floor routines, step, body bars, bands, weights a total body workout from head to toe with the benefit of a cardiovascular exercise.
Hustle And Muscle
Feel the power of a good workout. This class will alternate between circuit or stations that offer a variety of cardio movements and strength training exercises. Cardio moves will consist of a burst of fast intervals with lower intensity moves. Work at your own level and be part of the early morning risers.
Therapy Swim
Enjoy our warm pool for your physical therapeutic needs. Adult individuals who are physically challenged or recovering from surgery, injuries, physical ailments, and/or chronic physical conditions are encouraged to participate. Work-outs and exercise plans are designed by your doctor or physical therapist. A prescription is required from your doctor to participate at Therapy Swim. Prescriptions will expire six months from date of issue.
Poolates
This class combines the gentle art of Tai-chi and the benefits of Pilates and puts them into the softness and buoyancy of water. This is a great way to work-out the Core while being easy on the joints. All abilities are welcomed from the athletic individual to the individual with joint problems.
Pool Fitness
Pool Fitness classes are designed for people of all ages to utilize the buoyant qualities of the water to enhance their physical fitness. It is an ideal form of exercise to increase physical strength and endurance without overheating and putting stress on the joints. No swimming skills are required in these classes, but participants should feel comfortable in the water. Class can accommodate beginner through advanced. Please let the instructor know if you need modifications due to an injury or you want options to increase the intensity of your workout.
Adult Special Needs Swim
These open swim times are available for adults with physical and/or developmental challenges. Participants enjoy a positive interaction with others while swimming in a warm water pool. Staff supervision is mandatory on a one to one basis for individuals who require 24 hour supervisory care.
Body Composition
Body fat percentage refers to the percentage of body fat mass (the weight of the fat) in regards to body weight. The weight that is not fat is referred to as fat free body mass. This information will be helpful to monitor changes in your body composition.
Personal Training
Everyone can benefit from a personal trainer. From the elite athlete looking to gain a competitive edge; the beginner who is unfamiliar with exercise equipment; the person who needs motivation; or the person who finds he/she adheres to a regular exercise schedule when an appointment is scheduled: whatever your reason, our certified trainers will design a program tailored to your needs. Our trainers will motivate you and monitor your progress to ensure your program is safe, progressive and effective. Your first Personal Training session for each package will be a fitness consultation that includes understanding your personal goals and a body composition. From this information, we will build your program. Each package will have a follow up appointment to determine progress by body composition. A great gift! Call Cindy Agan for details.
Choose to Lose
This 10-week program is for anyone who feels that they need to lose weight and become more physically fit. This program runs in the winter time and will resume again in January. At the first meeting, you will be given general information about the program and do weigh ins and measurement. Later, you will be individually assigned a trainer. You will meet with a trainer once a week for 15 minutes to discuss food journals, exercise routine and other pertinent information. For mre information, please contact Cindy Agan, Fitness Director at ext 323 or cagan@westfieldymca.org.
Meditation
This program meets three Thursday evenings per month and features a combination of Zen meditation (zazen) and mindfulness practice. Meetings consist of periods of sitting meditation and walking meditation, along with a talk given by the teachers. Of the three sessions per month, two are led by Zen teacher, Paul Gerstein, MD and one session is led by mindfulness teacher, Rosann Scalise, M.Ed, YMCA Program Operations Director.
Dates: Ongoing – meets three Thursday nights per month
Time: 7:00-8:30pm
Location: Spring/Summer/Fall at the Camp Shepard Chalet, 370 Northwest Road, Westfield
Winter months at the YMCA main facility, 67 Court Street, Westfield
Membership is not required and there is no charge for this program. All are welcome. To join, please complete contact Rosann Scalise at rscalise@westfieldymca.org or ext 302. Meeting dates are emailed to participants monthly.
To read about Dr. Gerstein, please click on the articles below:
Dr. Paul Gerstein, Zen teacher part 1
Paul Gerstein, Zen teacher part 2
Click below to read an article on Zen Practice:
To view a video on meditation presented by Zen Master Teacher Richard Clarke, please click the link below:
http://westfieldymca.org/videos/
Camp Shepard Peace Labyrinth
Set amidst the trees with the forest as its base, the Camp Shepard Peace Labyrinth is for individuals and groups to enjoy a natural, meditative path. The labyrinth is a circular path embedded on the ground and used as a meditative pathway. The labyrinth is open to all; individuals and groups alike. Individuals may park at the bottom of the Chalet driveway and walk up to the labyrinth at any time to enjoy it. Groups wishing to walk the labyrinth may contact Rosann Scalise, Director of Program Operations at ext 302 or rscalise@westfieldymca.org.
To read about the Labyrinth Connection of Western Massachusetts, a
a group that meets regularly to explore the labyrinth as a tool for individual and collective transformation and offers labyrinth workshops, please visit http://www.labyrinthconnection.org/ or
http://valleylists.com/item/study-groups-labyrinth-connection-of-western-massachusetts-2740
Cardio Kickboxing
Join Martin Lee, Martial Arts instructor, for a mixture of our challenging kickboxing moves with martial art techniques to keep your heart rate up and to burn those calories.
Turbo Kick
A mix of kickboxing and simple dance moves set to heart pounding dance music that will have you looking forward to your next workout! It’s based on Chalene Johnson’s, the creator of Turbo Kick workout. It’s a combination of intense kickboxing moves, as well as, dance moves all perfectly choreographed to high energy and motivating music. It’s the ultimate cardiovascular challenge that’s a unique blend of intense intervals strength/endurance training, and a relaxing cool-down. It requires no previous kickboxing experience or equipment.
Snow Shoeing
When the winter rolls in, don’t let the snow keep you inside. Join us on one of our many snowshoe outings this winter. Bring your own or learn on our brand new snowshoes! Takes place at Camp Shepard Outdoor Center and other area parks and trails. Make sure to watch for special moonlight excursions! Look for registration flyers at the reception desk of the YMCA. Weekends and evenings throughout the winter. Always within 24 hours of a 2” snowfall.
