In total fitness, exercising is covered in terms of “cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition” in addition to an introduction to anatomy and physiology. Like in PE 9, students keep personal PE folders. According to senior Grace Shelchuk, in addition to improving endurance and overall fitness, Total Fitness can help maintain fitness for athletes who participate in seasonal sports throughout the year.
In Total Fitness, students work out with boot camp activities and sprints. Shelchuk likes this setup and believes it can work well for athletes of different sports with its wide range of targets: arms, upper body, lower body, sprints and lifting weights in the weight room.
However, Shelchuk recognizes that the intensity of the class depends on the amount of effort students are willing to put in.
“[The class] is very much tailored to everyone’s ability,” Shelchuk said. “I took it for two years, and the first year there [were] a lot of people that were very athletic and were competitive, so it was a lot harder of a class. The second year I took it, a lot more people were there just for credit and not trying, so it was a much easier class and people ended up walking laps.”
Despite these fluctuations, Shelchuk could not come up with a least favorite part of the class.
“Just be willing to try,” Shelchuk said. “Don’t worry so much about what your friends are doing. Just keep pushing yourself.”