Mix it Up at the Community Center

Kristi Edgington teaches a fitness class Monday through Thursday from 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the Cheyenne County Community Center that keeps participants on their toes and wondering what is going to happen next.

Her class is called Mix it Up and Edgington said her spontaneous fitness routine fits well with the name.

“It’s everything,” she said. “I change it up all the time so that your body doesn’t get use to doing one thing. This is important in exercise because if your body gets use to it and you repeatedly run for 30 minutes everyday at noon for example, your body is going to adapt to that.

“You never know what I’m going to do. Sometimes we emphasize legs, some days we emphasize arms or emphasize abs, and there is usually cardio mixed into that,” said Edgington.

The instructor said that the class is offered all year long and that she first got her start in teaching when she took over instructing a step class at the center 10 years ago.

“I guess what actually got me exercising more was when I was diagnosed as diabetic,” she said. “My fitness has progressed since I’ve started coming here and now I am very passionate about fitness.

“Once I started it became a routine. Then I got addicted to it and now I like to keep it fun and interesting.”

Edgington is a certified fitness instructor and said that she has had her ACE (American Council on Exercise) certification for 10 years.

The instructor said that she started the Mix it Up class after not being pleased with the Firm and Tone class she was currently running and taking advice from a friend.

“The guy that got me to get my certification said ‘Start doing what you love to do,’ and that’s why it came to Mix it Up because I like to keep it interesting, keep it fresh and keep it new,” she said.

Edgington said that the workout starts with a 5-minute warm-up, moves on to a 20-minute workout, and finishes with a 5-minute stretch.

“The only thing is I never tell anybody what we are going to do in class - it’s a secret,” she said. “You would be amazed by the things I have them do to mix it up, and they will be surprised by the muscles that get sore. It’s a lot of fun.”

The instructor said that sometimes she will take the class outside, but that the classes will always meet inside the gym at the community center to start.

“We will go outside and run the ditch up and down or go out and do different exercises around the pond,” she said. “Any exercise you can think of we are going to do in that class.”

Her class exercises range from squats, lunges, jump roping, planking, push-ups and working with weights – just to name a few.

She said that the class conducts the exercises in tabata intervals (intervals of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off for four minutes and then switching to the next station.)

“We also have boards that I wrap up in towels and we push them along the floor,” she said. “The main thing is to keep moving at your pace, that way it doesn’t matter your physical fitness level as long as you keep moving at your pace.

“There is a lot of different people in the class and various levels of fitness.”

Edgington said that she has about 25 regulars that attend her class, but she welcomes new class members of any age.

She said that the equipment used during class will differ on what they are doing that day, but nonetheless no equipment needs to be bought by participants.

The class is $5 per class for nonmembers and free for members of the community center.

Edgington encourages anyone with questions to call her at 308-249-4269.

“It’s a quick 20-minute workout that will work your entire body and always keep you pushing your fitness level. All you have to do is show up, that’s the hard part,” said Edgington.