“If energetic Susy Hymas had not sought to escape her desk, about a dozen Bellingham Technical College faculty and staff members wouldn't be as fit as they have become. Little did the BTC folks know they would soon be literally sweating to some oldies, not long after Hymas began Gene Kelly's class in personal fitness. Even before the 56-year-old Bellingham woman earned certification from the National Federation of Professional Trainers, Hymas and others began an experiment they soon came to call ‘Staffercize.’ Hymas now operates her own business, Daylight Nutrition and Fitness. Question: What kind of training are you doing at BTC? Answer: On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays we're working out at noon for half an hour. We do circuit training and resistance exercise and heart-rate monitoring. We use a classroom set up for the personal training program, and we work out mostly to oldies from the '60s and '70s. The emphasis is on increasing lean body mass. We have college employees from every area. Q: What kind of feedback have you had? A: I'm blown away by the effect this has had on these people. One woman in the class told me she has lost 34 pounds and feels better than she has in years. Now she feels energized and her afternoons just fly by. Q: Is this why you made a mid-life switch from desk job to fitness trainer? A: Right. I just realized that at my age I didn't want a desk job. So I enrolled in Gene Kelly's personal fitness trainer certification course, and it changed my life so much for the better. I took a 300-hour course in 2007-2008 to obtain certification. Q: When did you start ‘Staffercize?’ A: In March 2008, even before I finished my own studies. It became a group effort. One of our staff members, Roger Adams, wanted to work out at noon, so I gave him some routines and pretty soon he was inviting his friends. And we kept it up through the summer. I'm really dedicated to this.”
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/localnews/story/861021.html
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