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STORY BY JOYANNA LOVE

Run and jump.

Participants throw their arms up and out as they rise momentarily in the air.

They land assisted by a bungee cord secured to the ceiling and attached to them via a harness.

This is Fly Bungee.

Instructor Alexis Byrd was first introduced to the workout when she began taking classes at the Y. When a new instructor was needed, they asked her to take over.

Byrd had to pass an online assessment for fitness training before she could teach the class.

She had been interested in trying the workout because it looked fun.

“When you come and you want to work out, it is a fun workout for you,” Byrd said.

Prior experience in a gym is

not required to start Fly Bungee, however, Byrd warns those who are not used to exercising on a regular basis will be sorer when they first start.

During the workout, participants are connected to the bungee cords mounted to the ceiling by a harness similar to what rock climbers use. This will cause soreness until the participant gets used to the harness, Byrd said.

“You get a lot of resistance from the bungee itself, so once you get used to the soreness of the harness that is holding you, you can add the resistance to the running and the jumping, so it helps build your muscles,” Byrd said. “It is a full body work out, so you are building muscle everywhere in your body, and you are also working your abs in some movements too.”

Byrd said she burns an average of 250 to 300 calories per class.

Classes are offered at the Y on Monday at 9 a.m., a Glow in the Dark version on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and a Thursday 6 p.m. class. Each class can have a total of five participants.

“This has been a fun thing for me,” Vicki Curry of Thorsby said.

Curry had seen a clip of a bungee workout and began researching where she could take a class.

“I found this … and I couldn’t run down here fast enough for it,” Curry said. “It is a good overall workout, especially for somebody my age.”

Curry said Fly Bungee allows her to work up to higher resistance over time.

“It lets me know what stage I’m at,” Curry said.

While she said the workouts are not easy, Curry does enjoy them.

Byrd makes sure that each participant knows the steps to the exercises and the safety precautions that need to be taken. The harness connection height is adjusted for a participant’s weight and height. Participants must weigh between 80 and 240 pounds.

Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in Wellness September 2021. Copies are available at The Clanton Advertiser office at 1109 Seventh Street North in Clanton.