For many, people a day isn’t complete without a workout. For others, it can definitely be more of a chore, if it happens at all.
A team effort between the Wexford County Health Department, Munson Hospital Cadillac and several other agencies is trying to inspire more people to move, and they’re succeeding.
Michelle Dunaway and Corey Adkins take us to a free summer workout program in today’s Get Fit, Get Healthy.
The moon is still out, many haven’t ventured out from under the covers, yet dozens of people are here, dressed and working hard.
"This is my reason for getting up. I am not a morning person by nature, at all, and so, but I come here and I see those faces, and by the time I leave I’m like, I get to start my day like this, so it’s pretty cool," says Cathy Booher.
You’d never know Cathy is not a morning person.
She’s out here encouraging this group at 6 a.m., three days a week for five weeks.
Doing squats and lunges until your legs feel like jelly is not fun, but all of these people here are doing it and many of them are smiling, and there’s good reason why.
"It’s fun, it’s with so many people, it’s motivating, it’s inspiring. There’s so many different fitness levels. People show up with a good attitude and we encourage each other. It’s a really positive environment for people to just show up and work out and work out really hard, but feel good and at 7 a.m. they’re done. They get to go on with their day," says Cathy.
The word is certainly spreading. This free class started three years ago.
“We had 13 people for the first one, and a couple weeks ago we had 40. It’s pretty cool," says Cathy.
Class regular Christie Norman adds, "It just shows the power of how much fun people have and how the word has spread. It’s great to see how much this has grown and how enthusiastic people are to be here at 6 in the morning."
And from men to women, young and a little more mature, everyone here has the same goal: to get moving.
"You kind of look around and say ‘OK, this person next to me, they can do seven more, I can do seven more and we’re in it together.’ We sigh together, we laugh together, we roll our eyes together, but it’s really cool because everybody can do it. Everybody can make it work for them, and for their body, and for their fitness level," explains Cathy.
And there’s a reason Cathy chooses seven.
"It’s more manageable just doing seven. It’s kind of a thing, I can do seven. If I said you’re going to do 49 of everything, no way. But seven at a time they can do it, they totally do it," says Cathy.
And yes, everyone did 49 of each of these exercises this day.
Plus a couple of runs, some jumping jacks and a whole lot of smiles.
"I just really want people to have fun. I just like to do a different variety of work, as many body parts as I can in an hour, and just try to incorporate some laughter and some fun," explains Cathy.
The class ended a couple of weeks ago, because this late in the year it simply gets too dark, but Cathy will certainly be back at it again next summer.
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