Participants in a PiYo in the Park class from summer 2022 smile through the sweat at a morning class.
After a long winter of being cooped up indoors, excitedly watching all the snow melt, and then watching it snow several more times, few things feel better than moving off the couch and into the sun.
The fitness instructors at the Chaska Community Center are taking it one step further once again for their 2023 summer class offerings that also stay right on trend.
“So often what we like to do in the summertime is try to bring some classes outdoors, just to get the mental health benefits of being outdoors as well as getting physical activity,” said Missy Goff, fitness supervisor at the Chaska Community Center.
Goff sees a wide range of ages for these classes, anywhere from the 25–70 age range.
“Anybody can do our workouts,” she added, only encouraging individuals to bring their own yoga mat. “It’s you versus you when it comes to how hard you want to work and push yourself… we all look different, we are at different levels, we can make this class for you.”
PiYo in the Park, a free, fast paced cardio workout with flowing Yoga movements to burn fat and sculpt muscles, will take place on Fridays 8:30–9:30 a.m. at Firemen’s Park on June 2, 9, 16, 23, July 7, 21 and 28.
“I often like to say Pilates and yoga on steroids, because it has up-tempo music, it has cardio in it… so it’s a class that will definitely increase your heart rate but also strengthen and tone your body,” Goff said.
She added that attendance usually reaches around 25–30 people per class.
Goff describes Yoga in the Park as a “non-purist” yoga that focuses on the “mindful practice of the physical pose with nature and its surroundings.”
It will take place Mondays from 7–8 p.m. at Firemen’s Park on June 5, 12, 19, 26, July 10, 17, 24 and 31.
Barre Blend, an ongoing class held on Wednesdays from 9:30-10:15 a.m. at the Chaska Community Center, is a total body workout of yoga, pilates and functional fitness training movements. While Goff describes it as having a low intensity format, “you are sure to feel the burn.”
The class was first added to the schedule in February, and has since moved to the larger studio due to how many people attend. She attributes the popularity of the class to how it “incorporates movements from not only yoga or Pilates, and also has that strength training benefit.”
The American College of Sports Medicine’s study on the top 10 fitness trends for 2023 identified strength training with free weights, body weight training, functional fitness training, outdoor activities and high-intensity as some of the top trends.
“The benefits of barre, Pilates and yoga format include better posture, improved endurance, increased muscular strength and, most of all, it’s gentle on the joints,” Goff said.
Goff recommends following the CCC Fitness and Wellness group on Facebook to keep up with weather updates and all things fitness.
Offerings with SouthWest Transit continue to expand through its new partnership with Lyft and the new station in Eden Prairie on Highway 212 and Prairie Center Drive.
SouthWest Transit opened up the Chaska City Council's May 1 meeting with information on its new partnership with the rideshare app Lyft.
Through SouthWest Transit’s app, in which riders can schedule rides and partake in the organization’s Summer Adventures, riders now have the choice of SW Prime or Lyft.
“It offers faster response time and more flexibility of options, and more option choices for cost,” said Councilor Mike Huang, who also is a member of the Southwest Transit Commission.
SW Prime currently offers:
- SW Prime MSP Airport: A premium ride serving the SW Prime service area (Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Chaska, and Victoria) to/from the MSP International Airport.
- SW Prime Edge: Connecting the SW Prime service area (Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Chaska, and Victoria) with Shakopee, Mystic Lake Casino, 494 corridor, Edina, and Mall of America.
- SW Prime Essential: A premium ride for discounted groceries and pharmacy needs.
- SW Prime MD: A premium ride for all your non-emergency medical needs.
The partnership with Lyft was due to the “increase in demand for the SouthWest Prime services,” stated Tony Kuykendall, interim COO of SouthWest Transit. He also said that as the demand has gone up, wait times have increased significantly during prime times of the day, which is particularly difficult for airport travel.
Additionally, due to supply chain issues, new SouthWest Prime vehicles that work for the program are not able to be obtained. Kuykendall said that waits for new vehicles are anywhere from 18-24 months.
Maria Mancilla-Diaz, interim CEO, shared that the partnership launched “about two weeks ago and we’ve had 126 Lyft rides.”
“We provide up to $10 toward a Lyft ride and the rider pays the rest,” Kuykendall said. Prices will be shown on the app for both services.
Hours of operation stay the same for SouthWest Transit, even with the addition of Lyft.
“We have to use ADA vehicles. Lyft does not provide that, so as a result we have to have ADA vehicles so the service time remains the same,” Mancilla-Diaz said.
SW Prime’s ADA accessible service allows for those with wheelchairs, walkers or bikes to schedule transportation.
Kuykendall said that East Creek Transit Station will be closed June 5 through the end of June for a construction project and that the new station in Eden Prairie is now open.
Mancilla-Diaz went on to highlight the SouthWest Transit’s Summer Adventures program. Every Tuesday, June 6–Aug. 8, round trips will be offered for destinations around the Twin Cities like the Mall of America, Como Zoo, Valleyfair and the Science Museum.
“It’s a comfortable way to get all the kiddos in the bus and out to a park and back home safely,” Mancilla-Diaz said.
For more information on the Summer Adventures visit www.swtransit.org/events/summer-adventures.
