Susan Frank conducting City High School’s 7th period PE course. photo: Ariel Campbell
When Susan Frank opened O2 Modern Fitness, it was in her business plan to reach out to local kids and with City High School, she has fulfilled that goal. Donating her time, equipment and the space, she is passionate about how to get kids excited about physical activity.
Twice a week, Frank leads an intense cycling class for the school’s 7th period physical education course at the fitness center’s Broadway and 5th Avenue location.
Students are evaluated on physical endurance and growth from the cycling training, measured through a 1 mile timed course. Students are evaluated three times a year, with the goals to create competitiveness within oneself to beat ones standing time and help motivate students to achieve a healthy end result.''
“I exercised a lot before this,” said student Kelsey Gates. “This is more of a workout, it’s more physical. I am stressed out about college and life and it makes me feel better.”
During class Frank defines vocabulary terms related to the spinning exercises students are participating in, in relation to their bodies and why what they are doing is physically beneficial. Students are also required to bring in music and conduct a cycling workout for their peers.
“You can make it a career to support yourself in the real world,” Frank said. “I want students to acknowledge this as a job, an alternative to getting a part time job at McDonalds. Teaching a spinning class is a new idea of how to immerse yourself into society,” she said.
“I was very pleased to hear about it and I think it’s very generous of Susan to take the initiative and start the program,” said City High chemistry teacher Maria Luisa Ruiz Luna. “We don’t have a lot of physical exercise options and it really makes a difference.”
The program is in an infancy stage, but after the second round of evaluations, students have decreased their 1-mile track record by a class average of 13 seconds. Frank is hoping to add a nutritional class to the program next semester and expand the program to other schools that do not offer on site physical education options.
O2 Modern Fitness teaches a wide variety of classes. Visit O2ModernFitness.com or call 623-224.
