DVIDS – News – Get moving: Bliss FMWR Group Fitness event challenges participants

They moved it.

They picked him up.

They shook him.

Fort Bliss Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Group Fitness staff once again threw down the gauntlet with the July fitness challenge, called “Move, Lift, Shake” at the Sgt. Joshua W. Soto Physical Fitness Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, on July 9, 2022.

Led by instructors Alina Rodriguez, Bliss Group fitness instructor, and Scott Smith, strength and conditioning coach and on-the-job fitness instructor who also serves as an Army civilian employee at Bliss Human Resources Directorate, Second Floor Fitness Room in Soto PFC has been transformed into a frenetic party-lit fitness zone. The event kicked off with an open dance floor where fitness enthusiasts were “shaking” – either following the instructor’s dance moves, or rocking some of their own to a three-song set of high-energy, Zumba-style dance music.

After a short break, it was time to “lift up” as Smith took on the challenge with a strength training session that mixed several muscle groups and emphasized the importance of fluid repetition for a safe and effective workout.

And finally – “they moved it”. After a few laps on Soto’s indoor, elevated track, it was off to the spin room, located in another corner of the sprawling 96,000-square-foot facility, for a raucous spin class session as the group cycled together, led by Rodriguez, who emphasized that works with riders individually to teach them proper seat and pedal positioning throughout the session.

The morning challenge concluded with a raffle, where all guests walked away with a gambler while Rodriguez and Smith split gift bags of fitness equipment or a 60-minute fitness consultation with Smith.

“We wanted to do something that everyone could enjoy,” Smith said of “Move it, Lift It, Shake It.” “We know a lot of people like Zumba, and then a lot of people like strength and conditioning, and from there, one ‘X factor’ was the spin classes.”

He explained that since spin bikes are less common outside of fitness studios, he and Rodriguez wanted to introduce the students to the bikes while they were new to them.

Throughout the fitness challenge, the pair sought to share proper form for the activities, not only maximizing the efficiency of movement, but also minimizing the risk of injury, encouraging fluidity and movement rather than speed and exhaustion.

“‘Form’ teaches you how to move,” Smith said, “and as you get older, you’ll tend to build muscle memory for that.” If you don’t know form and are just flailing around, you will tear tendons, muscles and joints. As long as you focus on your form, you can practically do almost anything you want.”

In the time since COVID-19 closed FMWR facilities on post in 2019, and then with the gradual rollout of facilities coming back online, as well as the new trend of people trading in-person instructions for more virtual elections, after the July 9 challenge, Rodriguez said that participation in group fitness has decreased and wants the public to know that, with continued adherence to public health parameters, she and the industry-certified Bliss Group Fitness staff look forward to serving the Bliss community at pre-pandemic levels

“We know how to modify training to meet people’s needs,” Rodriguez said of the in-person instruction for challenges like the July 9 “Move, Lift, Shake” or the various classes and services they have throughout the year. “If you’re just starting out, it’s very scary to go from nothing back to [a fitness regimen] – I think it is one of the most difficult steps ever. We’re all here, we’ve been there and we want to see you win.”