Women’s Group Fitness FAQ’s:
When and where are the Women’s Group Fitness classes meeting?
The group fitness classes will meet each Wednesday from June 21 to August 2 (with no class on July 5). There will be a class at 6am each Wednesday, and another class at 12pm each Wednesday. These classes will meet in the sanctuary of True North Church at 382 Muldoon Road.
Please arrive about five to ten minutes early to any class to gather your equipment, settle in, and check in kids to childcare (provided at the 12pm class).
If you think you might attend at least one class in this six week period, you can help us out by filling out and submitting this liability waiver which states that you are in reasonably good health and understand and assume responsibility for the risks that can come with exercise.
How long will they last?
The classes will run between 50 and 60 minutes long. Please arrive about five to ten minutes early to any class to gather your equipment, settle in, and check in kids to childcare (provided at the 12pm class).
What is a group fitness class? What can I expect?
A group fitness class is any form of fitness (exercise) that is done in a group setting and led by a certified personal trainer or certified group fitness instructor.
The 6am group fitness class will be a gentle start to your day with light stretching and low impact mobility and strength exercises. (“Low Impact” meaning slower movements without intense or sudden movements, like jumping, to protect your joints)
The 12pm group fitness class will have a higher energy to keep you going through your day! These classes will open with some fun group cardio, followed by a strength & mobility circuit that will have a higher intensity compared to the 6am class.
If you are new to exercise, have not exercised in a long time, or have an injury or known medical condition, please consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.
Who are these classes for? Is there an age limit?
These classes are for women of all ages. If you have school-aged daughters with you, we ask that only females ages 14 and up attend. And there is no age cutoff for more “mature” women; however, at this time we ask that all attendees can meet a basic general fitness requirement of getting up and down off the floor without assistance.
Do I have to sign up for the classes ahead of time? Do I have to attend all of the classes?
No sign up is necessary. Just show up! There will be a sign in sheet at each class to keep track of attendance. But the classes will not “build” on each other; you will not learn skills at the first class necessary for participation in additional classes. Therefore, come to whichever classes you are able; although, we hope you can attend all of them!
If you think you might attend at least one class in this six week period, you can help us out by filling out and submitting this liability waiver which states that you are in reasonably good health and understand and assume responsibility for the risks that can come with exercise.
Why would a church host fitness classes?
Why wouldn’t a church host fitness classes?! Our bodies are the vehicles that carry our spirits and souls throughout life; let’s take care of our bodies and keep them as healthy and strong as is reasonably possible!
Additionally, there are so many people who are skeptical of the Church and have no intention of ever coming to a church service or anything else “churchy.” This is a great opportunity to invite those friends and give them a gentle introduction to Church and to Jesus; this isn’t a scary, condemning place, but rather a place to come as you are, both physically and spiritually.
Is there a cost to attend?
SWEAT! (Just wipe it up off the floor with a Clorox wipe when you are done.) All joking aside, the leadership at True North Church has worked hard to make sure that these classes are 100% FREE OF CHARGE to you. There is no fee to attend, and you will never be asked for donations or tips. And similarly, there is no fee for the childcare offered during the 12pm classes.
Am I going to have to sit through a commercial for True North Church at the beginning or end of the class?
No, not at all! NOT BADGERING you to attend our church services is part of offering a free, no-strings-attached fitness class. You will not have to watch a commercial, sit through a sales pitch, donate money, or buy a timeshare.
Just come and participate! If you decide that you have questions about True North Church, what we teach, and why we follow Jesus, then someone will be happy to talk with you, but no one will force you to endure a sales pitch about our church.
What is the minimum required fitness level to participate?
Each woman attending a group fitness class should meet a basic general fitness requirement of getting up and down off the floor without assistance. Eventually, we would love to see the group fitness classes grow to offer chair yoga for individuals with limited mobility.
For now, we invite women with the ability to get up and down off the floor without assistance to come exercise with us, and a certified trainer leading the classes can help give additional queues to modify each exercise to match your fitness level.
If you think you might attend at least one class in this six week period, you can help us out by filling out and submitting this liability waiver which states that you are in reasonably good health and understand and assume responsibility for the risks that can come with exercise.
If you are new to exercise, have not exercised in a long time, or have an injury or known medical condition, please consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.
What should I bring?
You will probably want a towel and a water bottle. The sanctuary can be chilly, so wear comfortable layers that are easy to add or remove as you warm up and cool down.
True North Church has enough fitness equipment to outfit the first 20 attendees to any class with a yoga mat, a foam roller, a small fitness ball and resistance bands; however, we will be exercising on a hard concrete floor.
If you regularly experience discomfort on your knees, you may want to bring your own yoga mat or an extra towel to cushion your knees. Also, if the group fitness classes are popular and attract more than 20 women to each class, you may want to have your own yoga mat if you have one as other equipment can be shared.
Will there be childcare on site? If so, for what ages?
Free childcare for pre-school-aged children will be offered during the 12pm fitness class. Your pre-school-aged children can be checked in as early as 11:30am prior to the start of the 12pm Group Fitness Class. Children will need to be picked up from childcare by 1:30pm following the class.
If you homeschool or have school-aged children with you during the day, there are multiple, comfortable rooms near the sanctuary where your older children who need minimal supervision can read, study, play, or watch movies while you exercise. Also, your older, teenage daughters are welcome to exercise with us.
I have a son between the ages of 14 and 18. Can he participate?
In the future, we may offer co-ed group fitness classes; however, for the present, our priority is providing a safe place for women to exercise. This includes facilitating an environment for any woman of any body type, of any fitness level, and of any background to feel 100% safe, completely free of body shaming, and with as many intimidation barriers to exercise removed.
Let’s be honest, even the most awkward teenage boy can out-perform a tired, nursing mommy or the recently retired woman who has had a desk job for the past 40 years. That can be really intimidating to a woman new to exercise! There are multiple, comfortable rooms near the sanctuary where your teenaged sons are invited to read, study, or watch movies while you exercise.
How can I help?
If you are a woman, you can show up and have some fun exercising with other women!
If you are someone who believes in helping remove barriers to physical fitness for young moms and have a couple of hours to spare around the lunch hour, you can help us provide free childcare. Please contact our director of children’s ministry, Megan Howes megan@truenorthalaska.com for more information about how to help with childcare.
If you are a husband, you can give your wife a break and invest in her physical, emotional, and mental health by helping remove barriers so she can exercise with other women! Help set up a babysitter! Gently encourage her to invest in herself through exercise.
Do you have more questions about the upcoming group fitness classes or about your own health and ability to participate?
Contact Audrey Preston.She is one of the Deacons at True North Church as well as a Certified NFPT Personal Trainer and a Certified AFAA Group Fitness Instructor. She will be instructing the group fitness classes. You can reach her at audrey@truenorthalaska.com
If you think you might attend at least one class in this six week period, you can help us out by filling out and submitting this liability waiver which states that you are in reasonably good health and understand and assume responsibility for the risks that can come with exercise.
If you are new to exercise, have not exercised in a long time, or have an injury or known medical condition, please consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.
Waiver Form
Please print and fill out this waiver form and bring it with you to class.
TNC Women's Group Fitness Informed Consent and Liability Waiver