Women's Guild offers classes and ‘Biggest Loser' competition for fun, good health

Members of the Nauvoo Women’s Guild exercise, in front are Janice McCarty and Irene Tukuafu and in back, Susan Stanton and Vicki Andrus.

Health and fitness is one of many areas offered through the new Nauvoo Women's Guild.

The Women's Guild opened last October at 1695 Mullholand St., across the street west of Casey's. It offers craft consignments, enrichment classes of all kinds, exercise classes and equipment, and a place for women to gather.

The guild house is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Members have keyless entry access to the exercise equipment porch 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A monthly schedule of classes is sent to members. Current classes are yoga/ belly dancing taught by Sharon Kraus Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 7 a.m. Denise Felt holds a line dancing class Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 to 9 a.m. On Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. another group works out to a “Sweating to the Oldies” tape.

On Thursdays at 4 p.m. is a tumbling and dance class for young girls, “Dance Like Nobody's Looking,” for girls age three and up, taught by older teens with a lot of training in dance.

“This one has been really popular,” said Susan Stanton, a member of the Women's Guild. “We have a lot of girls. In the week it was so cold and icy we had one little girl here with her tutu on, in tears because the class was canceled.”

Along with the exercise classes and equipment, the Women's Guild is starting a “Biggest Loser” competition. People must register and be weighed in on Friday or Saturday, Jan. 9 and 10. Both men and women can participate in the competition and those taking part need not be guild members.

“Men cannot be guild members,” said Lois Crouse, publicity chairman for the group. “They can pay a $10 monthly user fee that allows them into the exercise porch area to use the equipment, but not during hours when the guild house is open.”

The cost to enter the “Biggest Loser” contest is $20 per person, which goes into the kitty for the prizes to the three top winners. For that contestants get guidance on food choices and exercise ideas.

Member Vicki Andrus is the organizer for the competition.

Each contestant also donates a $10 prize, which is part of weekly incentive challenges. These might by going all week with no food after 7 p.m. or having no carbonation all week. The competition and camaraderie of the contest helps with the weight loss success of each person.

“Dieting is good, but exercise and diet is much better,” Crouse said. “Exercise helps you feel better about your self by losing weight, toning up the body. We live very sedentary lives.

“We hope to get people who are not guild members to start coming and see what all we are doing.”

Irene Tukuafu is one of the regulars at “Sweatin' to the Oldies.”

“I know I sleep better on the days I exercise,” Irene said.

“Exercise is an anti-depressant. You get the theremones and endorphins going,” Stanton added. “It is a buffer, especially in the winter. The employment here is seasonal and sometimes income drops drastically in the winter. This has an important social aspect, too.”

Crouse added: “All this equipment is donated. That means people had it and didn't use it. We have to beat down the resistance to exercise and have some fun at the same time.”