Winter physical activity helps with job training fitness

In the heart of Alaska winter, hibernation comes easy.  But not for Alaska Job Corps students.  Winter fitness activities are designed to help with the lethargy of darkness.  Cross-country skiing is a popular aerobic activity.  Basketball is king in Alaska and the court is never empty.  Heavy Equipment students partake in daily early morning winter conditioning.  Going soft, over winter, is not beneficial for long term job training.

The Recreational Department conducts Presidential Fitness testing, both as a baseline for new students and as a continual tool for fitness evalution, over the long run.   The dorms have Wii systems with dance, bowling, exercise and yoga programs.  Zumba and Alaska Native Dancing are offered in the evenings, after classtime.  The center sponsors  Pilates, weight training, winter hikes, snowshoeing, Ping Pong tournaments and even Tai Chi as a part of the ongoing wellness program.

On the day before winter break, students and staff competed in a Let’s Move activity involving an inflatable bucking salmon, bouncy space stations and a brutal obstacle course.  Wellness involves consistent physical activity,  even when the temperatures suggest a nap.