J Blog

The month of December is always a busy and stressful time for everyone. With the sun setting earlier in the winter months, the days seem very short. "Not enough time" is the number one reason for people to either not start exercising or eliminate their regular workouts.

Keep in mind that research has proven regular exercise not only gives you energy throughout the day, but it also helps to reduce stress. Not to mention the fact that forming habits of regular exercise are difficult to create but easy to break. 

Our Fitness Center has it all coming up! Work it Out Wednesday with CW39 on Dec 5, an exclusive shopping night for J members at Lululemon in Highland Village on Dec 11, plus save the date for our Fitness Open House Sunday, January 13. 

You asked and we answered! 

Our Fitness Center's group exercise schedule has been lacking a mid-week strength class in the evenings, and we have been waiting for the perfect instructor to fill that spot. 

Welcome Bree Turner to the J family! 

The boards are here, the instructors are trained, now we just need YOU to practice your surf moves! Join us for demo days where you can learn the basic moves from our instructors out on the boards. 

Thursday, Aug 2 | 5:00 PM-7:00 PM 
Sunday, Aug 5 | 8:30 AM-10:30 AM

These are come and go, take some time in the pool to learn how to get on the board, stand up, work the paddle, and balance. We will have music playing and instructors ready to help.  Meet us outside by the BAS pool. 

As some of you may remember, we were days away from putting on our first Oy Vey! 5k Family Fun Run at Godwin Park in Meyerland when Hurricane Harvey hit our city last year. Obviously, the J, the City of Houston and especially the community of Meyerland were in no position to even consider hosting such an event at that time.

While we made some attempts to reschedule the event, we never felt confident about the timing. Nearly a year later, our community is coming back to life, and it's the perfect time to bring this event back to life also!

On June 24-July 1 we will be hosting an event to participate with other JCCs to connect to and cycle along with the Jewish community in Krakow.  We will be hosting two book end cycle classes of 55 minutes to mark the occasion as well as times to use the spin studio on your own to complete your own 55 mile ride all week to honor the JCC Krakow. 

On Thursday mornings at 5:30 AM or 6:05 AM, come to the Fitness Center to take our new class, Express HIIT. 

What is HIIT?

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Basically, work your booty off in intervals for maximum benefit. We will work in bursts of energy and short bursts of rest for a short amount of time.

This type of work out is well suited for all fitness levels and modifications, and you are expected to work 80-90% of your max. The workouts are efficient because you burn a high amount of calories in a short amount of time. 

The Splash 'n Dash, benefiting Justins TRIumph Over GAN, an organization that raises funds and awareness for Giant Axonal Neuropathy (GAN), was held on Sunday, May 6 at the J. The event was organized for kids aged 7-15:  7-10 year olds swim 100m and run 1/2 mile, and 11-15 year olds swim 200m and run one mile. 

The J hosted the event, race packet pick up and provided lifeguards. One very determined child and his mother shared their experience with us: 

Summer is almost here and with the Outdoor Pool now open weekends, it’s time to think about preparing your child to pass the swim test.  All swimmers under the age of 18 must pass the test, which allows them to use any area of any pool past the 3 ft. depth marker rope line. 

It’s fairly common for kids to have the jitters about passing the swim test, especially if they haven’t been in a pool since last summer. 

To help our young swimmers build their confidence and review the skills needed to pass the test, we’re offering a NEW Swim Test Class beginning May 22. The class will be offered on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4:15 PM—4:45 PM or from 4:45 PM—5:15 PM for four sessions. 

This Memorial Day our Fitness Center will host an outdoor Murph Challenge and an indoor circuit workout for all who want to participate.

In honor of Memorial Day, athletes across the world complete a “Murph” to honor our service men and women.

The workout itself is designed to honor a specific lieutenant named Lt. Michael P. Murphy. He put himself into the line of fire to save his team and call for back up.