Posts Tagged ‘SJCity Fit’
Posted by terrepruitt on December 19, 2018
I have posted information about the programs that I teach under for the City of San Jose. At different times they had two versions of a “gym-like” program (Group Ex and then SJCITY Fit) where people could purchase an annual membership and attend all of the classes offered under the program at the participating community centers. There is also the program many seemed to be familiar with, where the city sends out a brochure listing all the classes available. The classes are taught in “sessions”. You might want to take guitar lessons being offered for 10 weeks one night a week. You register for the class paying for the entire session, all 10 weeks. There is no make-up if you miss a class. This is the way that I have taken classes with the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, and Campbell as long as I could take classes. I remember taking a babysitting class when I was young. The “gym-like” program was relatively new. It was a great program, but I am betting that most you reading this that are local didn’t even know about it. It seems like a fair job of promoting it was not done. It was impossible to use the internet to find any information about it and like, happens with all things when they don’t get properly promoted, they fail. The city has determined that the current version of the “gym-like” program – SJCITY Fit – is not sustainable so they are cancelling it.
There are members that take at least one class Monday through Friday. It was a great deal. The majority of the students that came to my class loved the program because when the math was done with them going to at least one class a day Monday through Friday, it was about 50 cents per class. So, yeah, it makes sense that the city wasn’t able to maintain that. But it is sad that the program could not attract more than 140 people. I keep thinking in a city with a population of over 1 million the program could have at least attracted 500 people.
But with so many different choices for the exerciser out there it really takes a strong desire and a concentrated effort to get the word out about exercises programs. So the city it moving some of the classes that were be held under SJCITY Fit into a hybrid of the leisure program (where students sign up for a session of classes). There are a multitude of things that are different under this program, so I will only be teaching Nia once a week on Tuesdays.
Now, in order to take Nia with me through the City of San Jose you have to sign up for the sesssion or “season”. So far there are two sessions/seasons on the books (Winter and Spring). They are both 10 classes each. I say classes because there are some weeks where there is not a class so it might end up being more than 10 WEEKS, but there are only 10 CLASSES. You can see more information on my site.
I am still teaching the yoga classes, one on Tuesdays at 10:30 am and one on Thursdays at 6:00 pm.
It is very sad that this program or a version of it was not salvageable by the city. So many of the consistent exercisers are moving off to other places, some I am afraid might stop exercise altogether. I will miss seeing them every week. I’ve been teaching Nia on Tuesdays for six years, on Thursdays for five years, and on Fridays for three years. Many students have been coming that long or even longer (on different days at the various places I have taught). I did write a post on the how long I have been teaching what.
I do hope to see some of my students taking part in the new program that is being offered. It might not have the convenience of SJCITY Fit, but it is still a great deal. The program will still offer 8 of the 12 classes that were offered under SJCITY Fit.
So, here is to a new chapter of San Jose Nia. I am looking at teaching at a studio right down the street on Union from where I teach now. I am hoping to teach my Thursday Nia class and my Thursday stretch class. So stay tuned.
We have such a great little Nia community in San Jose I hope we can keep dancing together! Here’s to the New Year and to a new chapter of San Jose Nia.
Do you take classes through your city’s exercise program?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: City of San Jose exercise classes, exercise classes, exercise with the city, Group Ex, leisure program, Nia, Nia community, San Jose Nia, SJCity Fit, stretch class, yoga classes, yoga studio | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 6, 2018
People often ask how long I have been teaching Nia and/or Yoga. Sometimes a student will ask how long I have been teaching the class. In order for me to remember I have to think about something I remember specifically for one class where the supervisor called me when I was in the hospital visiting my mom. Then I have to think of when that was and try to piece it together from there. I did send out some information over a year ago regarding the class facts. It was kind of in the form of a thank you for keeping the classes going. I decided to post the information so I will always have it on hand and I can point people towards it.
Terre’s Class Facts:
Nia at the Camden Community Center: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 am. Friday at 10:15 am.
The Tuesday Nia class started on September 4, 2012. It has always been at 9:00 am.
There was a Wednesday Nia class for a very short period of time in 2015.
The Thursday Nia class started on September 22, 2013. Originally it was at 8:30 am, then in November 2013 it was changed to 8:45 am. Then in February of 2015 it was changed to 9:00 am.
The Friday Nia class started in February of 2015. It has always been at 10:15 am. It follows a class that is at 9:00 am so that is why it starts at 10:15 am. The fifteen minutes in between classes is supposed to be for the out going class time to finish, clean up, and vacate the room AND allow us to come in and get ready.
Gentle Yoga at the Willow Glen Community Center: Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm.
I started teaching the gentle yoga class at the Willow Glen Community Center on July 18, 2013. Originally I was asked to do it for one session. But then it turned into the next, and the next . . . This class is held at 6:00 pm. This class is part of the Leisure Class program, so students sign up for session. So sometimes there is a mandated break in between sessions. They do not allow for drop-ins at this center.
Gentle Yoga at the Cypress Community Center: Tuesdays at 10:30 am.
I started teaching the gentle yoga class at the Cypress Community Center on February 25, 2014. The original time slot for this class was 10:00 am. But it was moved to 10:30 am so that I could get there from my Nia class at Camden. This class is also is part of the Leisure Class program, so students sign up for session. Sometimes there are breaks in between sessions, but we work hard to not have them because we like to just continue without breaks. This community center allows for drop-ins. So you don’t have to sign up for the entire session you can just come take on yoga class if you would like.
Stretch at the Camden Community Center: Thursday at 10:15 am.
I started teaching the Thursday Stretch Class in May of 2016. The original time slot was noon, but it was moved so it could be after Nia. It has gone on hiatus at times due to various reasons (summer camps usually come in and take over the community center). This class is at 10:15 am, after Nia.
Additional information about the classes:
All classes are an hour long. Nia and Stretch are part of the SJCITY Fit program. The gentle yoga classes are a part of the Leisure Class program.
There have been other class that have come and gone. I started teaching in 2009 at a studio I rented in Willow Glen. I did that for four years. I have also taught for the City of San Carlos. I worked for a little fitness studio, I taught at other community centers in San Jose, and I rented other studio space. But since those classes are not longer happening, I didn’t make note of those dates.
I am very fortunate to have such great students and to teach these classes. It is common knowledge among fitness instructors that a class can be cancelled at anytime, especially at city community centers. If there are not enough students then the class gets cancelled . . . makes sense, that is just the way it is. So that we have had these classes for so long is just the biggest blessing. I am grateful.
Posted in Nia, Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: City of San Jose, Cypress Community Center, exercise classes, Group Ex, Leisure Classes, Nia at Camden, Nia Classes, San Jose City Community Centers, SJCity Fit, stretch class, Willow Glen Community Center, Yoga | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 23, 2017
I like it when I have an idea for a blog post and I don’t have to think about what to write. I wish that were always the case. I like to post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but I just don’t always have that many posts in me. I have been struggling lately with posting on Mondays when I have been at my dad’s all weekend. Going through stuff and getting rid of items is proving more difficult than one would think. So many people and entities say to recycle and donate, but that is harder said than done. While trying to think of something to post about I got to wondering what I posted about on this day (or close to it) in the years past. So . . . speaking of recycling. (See how I did that?)
In 2009 I posted about the free songs iTunes used to give away. Do they still do that? Back then they used to give out cards at Starbucks and they had a code to a free song. I was introduced to a lot of artists and songs that way that I still listen to. I also posted about Collage Video which is a website you can get exercise DVDs from. I had liked the way they described the videos with a break down of minutes of each cycles.
In 2010, October 23rd fell on a Saturday and I was posting on Saturdays back then. I posted about Nutrition Facts of Bell Peppers. I LOVE bell peppers.
In 2011, the 23rd fell on a Sunday, on October 22nd, a Saturday, I posted about being Ready To Receive. In my post I talked about when we first experience or hear about something sometimes we put up our barriers and we don’t want to accept it, so we really have to be ready and “open” to receive in order to actually receive and learn. I also mentioned Natural Time and how we are ready and open in our own natural time. While I wasn’t talking exactly about what was going on at the time, it was somewhat related to it. October 2011 is the year my mother-in-law was in a fatal automobile accident. She died October 23, 2011, six years ago today.
October 2012 I was making smoothies. In September of that year I had gotten my super blender for my birthday and I was making and drinking smoothies. I found that during that period I did believe the science behind the need to rotate the vegetables according to the family, but I never quite got it right. I wrote about it in my The Greens Go Round And Round post, but for me it was easier said than done.
October 23, 2013 fell on a Wednesday and I wasn’t posting on Wednesday back then, I was posting on Tuesdays and Thursday. On Tuesday the 22nd I posted about a yoga pose. I posted Icky Name, Great Pose which is about the locust pose (Salabhasana) where you lift your legs and chest up off the ground creating a back bend. On Wednesday I posted about how Messing Up Is Fun. It is about Nia and what a student felt about it.
I was actually thinking about my post from October 23, 2014 just the other day! But I didn’t know that. I was thinking about the “tea” that I had heard about that one blogger drinks when she is sick. She calls it Sick People Tea. I wrote a little bit about it and the oregano that is part of the recipe.
October 23, 2015 was a Friday. I wasn’t posting on Fridays back then. But we had our cats and on the 22nd I posted about them. The post includes some of the best pictures I have ever taken of them. They are pretty darn beautiful. On the 24th I posted about the difference between what are labeled Leisure Classes with the City of San Jose and what are Group Ex classes. Although the City of San Jose no longer has the “Group Ex” program we have SJCITY Fit, which is similar. You might want to check it out as their annual membership is a GREAT deal!
In 2016 I was posting on my current schedule of Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The 23rd of October fell on a Sunday so the closest post to the 23rd is the 24th and I posted about Sunburns And Ants.
I do hope you will have a moment to click over and check out one or two of the posts from Octobers past. Which one has you wanting to click over and read it? Perhaps you can click over and like it and leave a comment.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: bell peppers, Blendtec, blog post ideas, Collage Video, essential oil for sunburns, exercise DVDs, free songs on iTunes, green smoothies, locust pose, Natural Time, Nia, Nia class, Nia student, oregano, ready to receive, Salabhasana, San Jose exercise classes, San Jose Group Ex, San Jose Leisure Classes, Sick People Tea, SJCity Fit, Starbucks, Vi Pruitt, Yoga, Yoga class | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 24, 2017
I am going to address this again because so many people are not aware of the programs in San Jose that are available through the Parks and Recreation Department. Back in 2015 I wrote a post explaining the main difference of two of their programs. To summarize, there is the program that many of you are familiar with because many of us grew up with it, that is the program the city calls the Leisure Class Program. These are classes in the booklets the Parks and Recs Department prints and sends out. There are ALL types of classes – don’t let the name “Leisure” fool you. There are language classes, art and craft classes, music lessons, cooking lessons, dance classes, exercise classes . . . .and a lot more. They are set up in sessions where you register and pay for the entire session before the first class. The session consists of a set number of meetings and when you register you pay for all of them. You may be familiar with those types of classes . . you may have even signed up for one of those sessions and had it cancelled because not enough people signed up. That is always disappointing . . . that is why it is important to sign up early. Anyway . . . there is also another program called SJCITY Fit . . . it is a version of Group Ex which was discontinued in 2015. But it is somewhat the same in that it is like a gym membership. You pay monthly and you have access to all the classes that are in the SJCITY Fit program, PLUS the gyms at three locations. The SJCITY Fit Program classes are exercise classes.
There are a lot of people who are not aware of this program that the city offers. I talk to people all the time that think the exercise classes through the city of San Jose are just the leisure type of class. I teach both. I teach some SJCITY Fit classes and I teach some Leisure Classes. There are benefits to both, so it really depends on what works for you. But it is nice to know that you have options.
There are some people who like to go to a class everyday. For the people who just want to have a class to go to every day, the SJCITY Fit program is great. The SJCITY Fit classes are offered at three of the community centers in San Jose; Camden, Almaden, and Bascom. Some people like the convince of going to the community center that is closest to their house, so they might join the Leisure Classes. There are a lot more community centers that offer the Leisure Classes. It all depends on what works for you.
The SJCITY Fit classes are on-going . . . meaning there is no end. Yeah, sometimes there might be a cancelled class if the teacher has an emergency and can’t get a sub in time, but the class is scheduled to just go on and on.
I have all of my classes on my website, but since I teach for BOTH programs it might be confusing sometimes. I think it is important for you to know the difference so you can decide what class you want to take.
At the time of this post, under the Leisure Program, I teach two yoga classes. One class is at the Cypress Community Center and the other one is at the Willow Glen Community Center. You register for the session. Although Cypress is unique and will allow you to drop in. But typically, with Leisure classes, you need to register for the entire session.
At the time of this post I teach THREE NIA classes under the SJCITY Fit program and one stretch class under the SJCITY Fit program. So for one monthly fee you can take all four classes a week. PLUS attend all the other classes that are offered through the SJCITY Fit program PLUS go to the gyms. If you don’t want to join the monthly membership you can drop in for $6.00 per class.
Usually . . . although I can’t say for sure . . . but usually . . the city has a special at the end of the year. They offer an annual membership for a great deal and you just buy that and you are set for the year. But they do not offer the annual membership all year. It is usually for a limited time. After that time is up any membership purchased is only monthly. We will see what they do at the end of this year. I will keep you updated.
I just wanted to share – trying to get the word out there – and try to clarify that there are two ways you can exercise with the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Jose: SJCITY Fit and Leisure Classes. These are GREAT programs – hopefully you will take part in what the city has to offer!
Did you know that the City of San Jose has something akin to a gym membership? Did you know that “Leisure Classes” include EXERCISE classes, too?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Almaden Community Center, annual membership, Bascom Community Center, Camden Community Center, City of San Jose Group Ex, City of San Jose Leisure Classes, City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department, Cypress Community Center, drop in classes, exercise classes, monthly membership, Nia, parks and rec, San Jose, San Jose Community Centers, San Jose Gym, SJCity Fit, Willow Glen Community Center, Yoga | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 5, 2017
Oh, I know it is not Friday and I am just going to pop a picture up at the last minute. But you would not believe the day I had. Wow! Basically I spent it dealing with my dad’s estate. I did work on my website to adjust the SJCITY Fit stuff, that was the extent of work on my work today. I spend an hour (at least) trying to get a HUGE hornet out of the house. Oh, perhaps that can be my post. It actually was a funny story. I was upstairs working and I kept hearing some rough-housing downstairs. I would hear what I thought was a cat running up their tower. Then I would hear some scampering. Then quiet. Then noise. And this went on for a bit. Finally, I thought, I had better check because if they have been playing this long it is probably getting to be at the rough point. Just like with kids it goes ok for a bit then after a while it seems like someone gets a bit rough and someone ends up getting hurt. Before I went downstairs I thought I would check to see if one of the cats was up here (she has found a new spot). Sure enough, Teagan was on the throne. That meant Nessa was downstairs playing all by herself.
When I got downstairs, she ran, looking guilty, and one of our speakers was crooked. So I thought she had went up the tower, onto the speaker, across the curtain rod, to the entertainment center. So I straightened the speaker and said, “No, Kitty.” And she looked guilty. So I went into the kitchen. Then I heard her rough-housing again. So I came out to see what she was doing, and she gave me that I’m-not-doing-anything look. Parents in all forms have to be familiar with that look. So I went back into the kitchen. Then she was at it again, so I came out again. This went on at least four times. Then as I was walking out I heard the tiniest “Bzzzz.”
I pull back the curtain and I see this HUGE WASP. It was HUGE. I have never seen one so big. Yeah, in the house. By then Teagan had come downstairs and realized that there was prey to be had and wanted to get in on it. So I scooped them both up and locked them in my office. And I spent the next hour trying to get the thing out of the house.
I was afraid to disturb it so much that it flew INTO the house. It was pretty much staying in the window area. So I opened the sliding glass door which is right next to the window it was in (which doesn’t open because it is a picture window). Then I got a handful of clothespins and I clipped the curtains together. There is a set of two over the picture window and then the one that is over the slider. I was hoping that I could fan the wasp with the curtain and encourage it to go outside. Well, it wasn’t budging with the curtain fanning.
I got my blow dryer thinking I could blow it towards the open door. No. It just hung on tighter. All the while I am going outside to look at it from the outside because I don’t want to open the curtains enough to look and possibly let it out into the room. Then I got the cobweb duster. It extends really far and I thought I could use that. Again, I didn’t want to open the curtain too much but I had to get the duster in there. So I just poked in there. And the wasp moved but it slipped out of the place where it is too high and I hadn’t clipped the curtains (of course) and landed on the wall. But it was the wall almost right above the open door. So I swooshed it out. Well, I had hoped I got. I looked and couldn’t find it.
But I didn’t take down my curtain contraption or let the cats out of the office until my hubby got home to check for me. Geez. So I had sat down to try to think of something to write and was on my computer when I heard all the commotion. Nessa wasn’t playing with her sister or playing by herself, she was attacking a wasp.
Here is Teagan and Nessa on the tower. This was in January 2017 . . . I was just going to post this but then realized I could share a portion of my crazy day.
What do you do when a bee/wasp gets in your house?
Posted in Cats, Misc, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: bee, hornet, Nessa, SJCity Fit, Teagan, wasp | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 20, 2017
Ahhh, I don’t think I talked about Friday FreeDance. In November of last year we there were four Fridays. Two of those Fridays were holidays for SJCity Fit. So out of the four Fridays in November we were only going to have a Nia class for two of them. So I had decided that we could do Friday FreeDance. Now for some people who sounds totally awesome, but for some people it sounds totally scary or icky, as in not fun. Not everyone is a fan of FreeDance. I understand that. Not everyone is comfortable dancing on their own especially in a dance exercise class. Many people go to exercise classes to be told what to do. A majority of the students that attend my Nia classes have been dancing Nia for years now, so I knew they would be able to FreeDance for an entire hour. We did it, and I received some interesting feedback and information.
First of all, I do want to explain that it wasn’t an ENTIRE hour of strictly FreeDance. I think for both Fridays I started with a choreographed first song. And I ended with instructions in the last song. Then the rest of the songs were mainly GUIDED FreeDance. So there were some suggestions on what to do, but it was left up to the participants to do it in their own body’s way. And in some case in their own mind’s way. They might have had to think of what some of the suggestions would be moving like.
I might have suggested that they move as if they are skiing. With that one usually has to think about it and then do it. The fun part is, of course, that everyone does it different. With no clarification as to what type of skiing there is so much room for interpretation. Someone could be water skiing, some people down hill skiing. Some people might be cross-country skiing. And then of course, even with those qualifications it could look wildly different. That is the fun of FreeDance.
I was very happy that most people liked it. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think they would like it and they could do it. It took me four and half years to feel confident enough in the students love of Nia and FreeDance to do it. And most people liked it. I am thinking they liked it as a Friday thing . . . I mean, they still like the choreography so they wouldn’t want to do FreeDance for the hour all the time.
There are a few people who wear pedometers in class and the majority of them reported that they got over 1,000 MORE steps in with FreeDance. One student said she averages about 4500 steps in regular Nia class, but in the FreeDance class she was at 5700. There definitely is the possibility to get in more steps. But if you are one who needs instructions more than just a guide you would probably get less steps in during FreeDance.
I thought I had posted about this because I was really happy and excited that I finally did it AND that the class really enjoyed it. And I was also really excited and happy that many people got more steps in. I couldn’t find the post I thought I did. So here. And if this is a repeat, oh well.
I have been putting in more FreeDance into our routines because people do really enjoy it. I think I will be doing a Friday FreeDance once a month. I love how Nia brings joy through dance.
So how would you feel about Friday FreeDance?
Posted in FreeDance, Nia | Tagged: City of San Jose Exercise Class, FreeDance Fridays, Friday FreeDance, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia students, Nia with the City of San Jose, November 2016, pedometers, San Jose City Community Centers, SJCity Fit | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 28, 2017
Last day. I missed two more days. I was gone this past weekend and I just forgot. Out of my regular routine. Trying to deal with dad stuff. So much stuff to deal with, I just forgot. Well, I got my Daily 10 Minute Practice in on Monday, and I plan to do it today. But then again, I was planning on doing it Saturday and Sunday too . . . I hope you are doing well with it. This IS the last day! But perhaps you will be continuing . . . I’m gonna try.
I just have to get better at being “ok” with missing a day. But not so ok that I just start skipping a lot of days. There is a fine line, right?
Any plans to continue?
Posted in Ten Minute Daily Practice | Tagged: Daily 10 Minute Practice, daily challenge, gentle yoga, meditation, Nia, Nia Teacher, Pilates, SJCity Fit, something to do daily, Working Out, Yoga | 1 Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 27, 2017
Today is MONDAY. I am filling in for another instructor so I am teaching Nia today. Normally, I don’t have a class on Monday, but today I do! Yay! I’ll be doing my Daily 10 Minute Practice after class. Probably later in the afternoon. When will you be going yours?
Posted in Ten Minute Daily Practice | Tagged: Daily 10 Minute Practice, daily challenge, gentle yoga, meditation, Nia, Nia Teacher, Pilates, SJCity Fit, something to do daily, Working Out, Yoga | 1 Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 24, 2017
Ahh, Friday. Do you love it? I hope that, even though you are excited for the weekend, you take time to do your Daily 10 Minute Practice. Start that weekend off grand!
Posted in Ten Minute Daily Practice | Tagged: Daily 10 Minute Practice, daily challenge, gentle yoga, meditation, Nia, Nia Teacher, Pilates, SJCity Fit, something to do daily, Working Out, Yoga | 1 Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 23, 2017
Including today, only six day left for the Daily 10 Minute Practice. Are you hanging in there? Are you feeling good about it? I know that, depending on what you are doing, ten minutes might not be enough so perhaps you took advantage of the practice and extended the time on a few occasions. I know I did. But then again, the next day when I thought, “Oh, I should do at least twenty minutes.” Then it seemed more difficult to fit into my schedule. Then I reminded myself that really, the “deal” was for ten minutes . . . then all of a sudden it seemed more do-able. Crazy, huh? Any of you feeling or have any of you felt that way?
Posted in Ten Minute Daily Practice | Tagged: Daily 10 Minute Practice, daily challenge, gentle yoga, meditation, Nia, Nia Teacher, Pilates, SJCity Fit, something to do daily, Working Out, Yoga | 3 Comments »
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