Advertisement Phillips, 56, of Stoddard, Wis., does her Jazzercise workout at least three times a week and has stuck with the routine for 25 years.
"I like the music and the easy-to-follow routines," she said. "It's an overall good workout, and I feel revived when I'm done."
Olson, 60, of Holmen, Wis., never had been successful at any exercise routine until she started doing Jazzercise 25 years ago. "It's a good overall workout with a little dance and a little exercise, and we have a great instructor who is so enthusiastic about exercise and motivates us," Olson said.
"After all these years, I look forward to coming to class, and we have a lot of fun while we exercise," she said.
For a quarter of a century, Phillips and Olson have been taking class from Debbie Dahl-Schultz, one of only a few certified Jazzercise instructors in the Coulee Region. Dahl-Schultz will mark her 25th anniversary as a Jazzercise instructor on Thursday.
Dahl-Schultz, a Cashton, Wis., native, led her first classes in the Concordia Ballroom and the Stoddard Hotel's Crystal Ballroom. But for the past 10 years, she has conducted one-hour Jazzercise classes almost every day of the week in the gymnasium of the Professional Arts Building on the Franciscan Skemp Medical Center campus.
Jazzercise has had its ups and downs when it comes to popularity, but Dahl-Schultz said it still is the world's largest dance fitness program, with about 5,000 instructors in 38 countries.
"There is a revival of Jazzercise," Dahl-Schultz said. "Women are coming back because this is a good workout. It's fun and safe, and they get to move to music."
Dahl-Schultz said Jazzercise was a high impact exercise with too much jumping when it started. But 15 years ago, the exercise routines changed to keep up with the times. Today, the routines incorporate cardiovascular fitness, strength conditioning and stretching.
"The movements are more controlled, more muscle movement and toning," Dahl-Schultz said. "There's an emphasis on alignment and posture and being in tune with our bodies. It's now a total body workout that uses Pilates as well as some kickboxing."
At a recent class, more than 20 women started with routines to warm up the muscles, then progressed to aerobic dance routines that included two to three different movements to Greek, hand-jive, pop and swing music. They also had muscle toning routines using hand weights and flexibility exercises.
The women were constantly on the move for 60 minutes, except for short water breaks taken while moving. They worked their abs, then ended with a cool-down period. Women were sweating and out of breath.
"This class is a stress reliever," said Becky Brudos, 28, of
La Crosse. "Jazzercise is a big part of my life, and it's the overall body workout I need."
Yvonne Knutson, 63, of La Crosse, likes that she can do the dancing and movement at her own pace. "I feel energized and ready to go after class," Knutson said. "I like the music and dance movements, which add so much fun to exercise."
Dahl-Schultz said she has people of all ages in her classes, but many are 50 and older or retired.
"Instructors demonstrate both challenging movements and low-impact variations to fit every age and fitness level," Dahl-Schultz said.
Judi Sheppard-Missett, who founded Jazzercise, still works with an exercise specialist who reviews the routines for safety and effectiveness, she said. Every year, Dahl-Schultz said, she receives five sets of Jazzercise programs, each with 28 to 30 new routines.
Phyllis Blackstone, 56, of La Crosse, joined Jazzercise seven years ago because she wanted to be healthier.
"I needed to move my body, and I needed an aerobics class I enjoyed," Blackstone said. "I love the dancing and the music, and I feel like I get a good workout."
Dahl-Schultz said many friendships are formed during class, and several women go out for coffee together.
She said people need to workout in a Jazzercise class at least three times a week for good fitness. Dahl-Schultz said her students burn about 400 to 500 calories during each Jazzercise session.
"But my students will just tell you they feel better, and they feel good about themselves," Dahl-Schultz said.
If you go
WHAT: Jazzercise classes taught by Debbie Dahl-Schultz
WHEN: 9 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; 5:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays; and 5:15 p.m. Fridays
WHERE: Gymnasium in Professional Arts Building on the Franciscan Skemp Medical Center campus
COST: $27 a month
CONTACT: For more information, call (608) 788-9598 or 1-800-FIT-IS-IT, or go to www.jazzercise.com
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at (608) 791-8227 or at trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com.
