Meet our new Group Fitness Manager, Katie Reese! Katie joined the JCC Fitness team in January of this year and is overseeing the group fitness department. Katie is originally from Los Angeles but lived in Santa Cruz for seven years, during which time she attended UC Santa Cruz as a biology major. Katie played softball for thirteen years and likes to bake. She bakes bread for her family every weekend.
Katie has worked in the fitness industry for about nine years. She started working at Toadal Fitness in 2015 where she was hired as a front desk attendant by our very own Bill Marzolla! She ended up taking on several different roles over the course of her time there, such as Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, and then Fitness Manager. As a Group Fitness Instructor, she taught spin, strength training, chair exercise, athletic stretch, healthy aging, bootcamp, and TRX classes. Katie moved back to Los Angeles and took on the role of Fitness Director at a YMCA there.
Katie’s favorite thing about group fitness classes is the energy of the classes and the community built within them. She says that the community built between group fitness instructors and their class attendees is one of the things that makes group fitness classes so important to one’s fitness journey. Katie says that group fitness classes are a really good way for those nervous to begin their fitness journey to get started and for those already on a fitness journey to meet like-minded people.
For those just getting started on their fitness journey, Katie recommends Hatha Yoga or Spin and Strength. For those who want to mix up their fitness routine or take a class that’s not really found elsewhere, Katie recommends Healthy Hearts or Yogalates.
Make sure to welcome Katie and say hi next time you see her around the J!
