J Blog

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.

From May 15-31 we are challenging you to a 500m row challenge.  As a Fitness Center member and exercise enthusiast, challenge yourself to beat your best time and the times of others while rowing, perfecting your form and getting some quality work in. 

The winners will be announced after the end of the challenge, so keep rowing until you get a time you are happy with. We will keep track of them at the Fitness Center front desk. 

Walking into a new gym can be an overwhelming experience: so many machines, big dudes by the dumbbells, and what the heck is that contraption that looks like I could break a limb trying to use?!

At our Fitness Center, we are holding periodic challenges to get our members interested and educated in the different machines and offerings we have, while upping that competitive spirit! The month of May will lead off with a 500m row challenge on our new skill row machines. The world record for the fastest 500m row is 1 minute and 14 seconds. 

While choosing new equipment for the Fitness Center at the J, Director Robin Fortenberry wanted to ensure we had a wide range of functional fitness equipment.  We want to keep members engaged and educated on all that we have to offer.  We held demonstrations on Sunday, March 25 on the new Escape equipment located in the far back corner of the fitness center floor.  Trainers Vince and Ulises showcased their training styles while incorporating the new pieces with functional exercises.  

The very first ever Olympic swimming champion learned to swim because his father drowned. Alfred Hajos was a Jew from Hungary. He won the 100m Freestyle and the 1200m Freestyle at the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens. His races were held in the Mediterranean Sea where the water temperature was 55 degrees. He was able to swim the 100m Free is 1 minute and 22 seconds and the 1200m Free in 18 minutes and 22 seconds while swimming through 14 foot waves. The Athenian Journal Acropolis called him the “Hungarian Dolphin.” He was the youngest winner at the games at the age of 18 years old.

Olympic Inspired Fitness

It’s hard to watch the Olympics and not want to amp up your own fitness routine. Whether you’re inspired by the fastest man alive or the all-time record holder for most medals, there is plenty of motivation right now to get you back in the gym. In fact, fitness experts say that it's actually after the Olympics when people seek gym memberships and get more active with sports.

“My favorite part of the Olympics is watching in awe at physical abilities and physiques of all of the athletes," said Robin D. Fortenberry, Director of Fitness Services at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC. "They actually push the limits of what is humanly possible. It reinstates my desire to push my limits and increase my own fitness levels.”

It is with mixed emotions that we announce that J Morgan, Fitness and Aquatics Director, will be leaving the J as of September 24, 2014. J has been on staff for eighteen months and has done a great job in supervising the day to day operations of both fitness and aquatics. He has grown programming in both areas and provided a great deal of leadership to the staff. Born and raised in New Orleans, J’s family is all in New Orleans, and the desire to return home became very important to him. He will be assuming a similar position at the JCC in New Orleans. He will be missed very much, and I know that you all wish J nothing but the best. We are currently conducting a national search to fill the Fitness Director position.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Morgan Fox as Aquatics Director. In June Morgan joined our staff as a swim coordinator at Kaleidoscope Camp and the coach for the swim team. Morgan has an extensive aquatics background as well as expertise in nutrition and health management. She is a great addition to our staff, and we are very fortunate to have her join our aquatics team. Congratulations and welcome to Morgan! 

Sunday, August 25, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Join us with the family dog for some fun in the indoor pool.  Before we close the indoor pool for maintenance on Mon, Aug 25, we're opening up the pool to you and your dog. Give your dog a chance to go wild in the pool at the J.