HAWC promotes better lifestyle choices: HAWC offers spin class Published Oct. 17, 2012 By Senior Airman Jack Sanders 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The Health and Wellness Center here is promoting healthier lifestyle choices for Airmen and their families by offering a variety of classes and services, and one way the staff is doing this is by offering a spin class. Spin classes offer participants a more intense cardio group-instructed workout with low impact. "Spinning is peddling on a stationary upright road bike," Kent Terrillion, 99th Medical Operations Squadron HAWC fitness program manager explains. "It starts off with a good warm up and about 40 minutes of doing some hills, getting up out of the saddle, and then changing it up with speed play." Spin classes are first come, first serve and last 45 minutes. The class is open to all DOD card holders. It's held at the HAWC Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. with an additional class at 6:30 a.m. on Fridays. Classes are also held at the Fitness Center. "It's more of a higher intensity workout so individuals should be able to exercise continually for 30 minutes prior to taking the class," Terrillion said. "It's a good alternative to a running workout for those who are exempted from running or need a high intensity non-impact workout." Non-impact workouts avoid any exercise that would case a strike or impact, like running where the feet impact with the ground sending vibrations up into the joints that could be damaging. "When I'm doing the class I'll feed off of the energy of the group - that and the music we usemakes the class seems to fly by," Terrillion said. Terrillion admits the class may be a little difficult for first timers, but suggests they come in earlier to work with the machines and the instructor to get the most out of their class. "The first time people go they don't really know what they're doing as far as the tension and they don't know the instructor," Terrillion said. "Then, the second time they kind of get a feel for a good workout, but by the third time I think they're hooked and that's when the workout goes by at the snap of the fingers." Terrillion said the class is fairly popular and can fill up quickly so those new or interested should try and show up earlier. For more information on HAWC classes, call 653-3375. Editors note: This is the fourth story in a four story series on the HAWC
