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Women wake up early for
aerobic workout





Becky Wanamaker stretches during morning aerobics.

In the morning, before most students are awake, Present Your Body, a women's aerobics group, has already worked up a sweat in the A-Frame. Anywhere from three to 10 women hold hands and pray at 6:30 a.m. Freshman Emily Childers pulls out the boom box, and the music begins. Childers leads the small group of tired women with stretching.

After the stretching, the moves get progressively faster. When Childers pops in a new CD, the women jog in place as they gulp down water--no stopping allowed.

The next CD always brings a new routine of movements, continuing to use the whole body. Legs are hopping, the Grapevine is moving side to side, and the Mashed Potato gets the arms flying. At this point in the workout, the sun has risen and Childers reminds the slowly wakening group, "This is fun. Remember to breathe."

Childers' workout is now at the top of the aerobic curve. The women have slowly worked their heart rates up to their personal peaks, or target heart rates, and will now keep their hearts going for 20 minutes at that rate.

Finally, to the group's relief, the music and steps slow down just before 7 a.m., and the cool-down begins. Another CD brings stretches that end the aerobic curve. The women pick up their sweatshirts and water bottles and head out to start their days. They leave with Childers' blessing and reminder to drink lots of water.

The aerobics class meets on Monday from 6:30 a.m.- 7:30 a.m. for a full workout, Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. -7 a.m. for an aerobic workout, and Thursday from 6:30- a.m. -- 7 a.m. for strength training.

Every day for four years, Childers has participated in Jazzercise, but this is her first time teaching. She said she is learning as she goes and is having a great time. Childers said she created Present Your Body because she thought women would be interested and because "I didn't have transportation to go anywhere to work out, and the weight room bores me."

Childers expects the group to grow as more women plan their schedules so they can get up earlier. She said, "I'm not a morning person, but the time worked out that way." However, she doesn't mind teaching a small, early-morning group. With a small group, explaining exercises or adjusting to the women's different paces is easier.

Childers doesn't charge for the class because she wants anyone to be able to participate. Most of the women come when they are able. One of the women, freshman Stephanie Young, said, "It's encouraging to know God's pushing you to exercise, and it's not just your own will." Freshman Becky Wanamaker added that exercise is easier when she is doing it with other people. She said she enjoyed the option of aerobics for exercise.

Four months ago, Childers began planning the class and choreographing steps to Christian music. Once at Multnomah, she talked to the residence assistants and Dean Karen Fancher about her idea. Then Stugo and campus services passed the idea.

Right after campus services approved the A-Frame for a meeting place, they canceled due to morning cleaning. Freshman Elizabeth Clowser cleaned the room at 6 a.m. Now Clowser vacuums before the women meet. Then, during aerobics, she cleans other parts of the building.

Now that Childers has established the group, she looks to the future. "I want it to be more than just exercise," she said. She said she wants the mornings to be a time when the group can pray and worship God.

Childers has selected Romans 12:1 as her theme verse: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."