Get on board for fitness
It combines the strength and flexibility of yoga with the balance of paddleboarding for a great total body workout. It’s Boga Fitness, and it’s now being offered twice a week at the Stayner Centennial Pool.
Clearview native Skyla Walker was first exposed to Boga Fit in Australia and immediately decided she wanted to bring it to the Stayner Pool. She pitched the idea to Clearview Parks and Recreation last August, and the decision was made to purchase equipment. An Ontario Trillium Fund grant enabled purchase of twelve Boga Boards, and the first class was held in early July.
Wednesday’s class was led by 16-year-old Shay Walker. As well as being certified as a lifeguard, Walker is a hockey player. She is the youngest lifeguard ever hired at the Stayner Pool. She had already completed the Bronze Cross program, but had to wait for her 15th birthday to be hired by the township. She describes the Boga board workout as more challenging than regular yoga. “It’s a 45-minute class including warm-up and cool-down stretches. At first, people wind up in the pool quite a bit, but the people who are more experienced with yoga tend to stay on their boards.”
Amanda Murray, manager of Clearview Parks and Recreation, believes the Stayner Pool is the first in southern Georgian Bay to offer Boga Fit. “This year it’s adults only, but we have room to grow and expand the program. We have classes Monday at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m. The fee is $8 per class or $64.94 plus HST for the full session.”
The Stayner Centennial Pool has a variety of programs aimed at making summer fun and fitness attainable, including the Grade 5×5 Swim Pass. Murray explains, “Any Clearview resident born in 2014 is entitled to five free admissions to the pool over the course of the summer.”
On Tuesdays, youth under age 18 can swim for free from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
There is also a free public swim Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., sponsored by the Stayner Lions Club, and a free public swim Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., sponsored by local realtor Christa Duits.
Registration for Sessions 2, 3 and 4, plus private lessons, is still being accepted. Register online at www.discoverclearview.ca/registration.
The pool will remain open until Wednesday, Aug. 27.
