ST. MICHAEL’S STARS IN RED STICK BOWL
THE SOUTHEAST
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THURSDAY JANUARY 1, 2015 H
COURSEY • HARRELLS FERRY • MILLERVILLE • OLD JEFFERSON • PARKVIEW • SHENANDOAH • TIGER BEND • WHITE OAK THEADVOCATE.COM
Advocate staff photos by C.J. FUTCH
Sarah Balladares performs modified handstand push-ups, a more advanced move in CrossFit.
Exercise goal No.1: Have fun Exercise goal No.2: Get fit BY C. J. FUTCH
cfutch@theadvocate.com When you walk through the doors at Geaux CrossFit, you can expect to leave with two things: spent muscles and a new outlook on life. “It’s a very supportive environment,� co-owner Amber Leonard said. “You’ll see people gathered around the last person to finish, cheering them on. If not, it’s because we’re out of breath ourselves.� Leonard was a high school athlete, and co-owner Johnny Blount was in the Navy. The chance to use their natural competitive spirits to get them
in better shape had appeal, and that’s one kind of CrossFitter. “We have people like Austin (Thomas), who are just genetically gifted. They’re natural athletes, and they’re doing the more advanced versions of the exercises listed in the WOD,� she said. WOD stands for Workout of the Day, the base on which CrossFit is built. But, she said, those natural athletes make up a very small percentage of their clientele. “Ninety percent of the people who walk in those doors are normal, everyday people. They want to lose weight or just get healthy. Some people are recovering from injuries and want to
maintain or regain fitness. If you put in the time, we can get you there. We have so many success stories,� she said. The workout changes every day, Leonard said, and is always functional. Some exercises will be familiar to former football players, she said, but there will also be elements of gymnastics, weightlifting, running and yoga built in. “We take a little bit from everything,� she said. That will keep people both challenged and motivated. “One person may be better at the exercises that require
Britnay Buyas does a more modified version of the handstand push-up that will lead her eventually to the more advanced version against the wall, while Sydney Buyas looks on during a äSee FIT, page 2G recent CrossFit workout at Geaux CrossFit.
Surviving nature
Share your neighborhood news in 2015 The holiday parties and giftgiving have passed, and many are turning their attention to resolutions for the new year. The Southeast Advocate staff is hoping churches, school groups, neighborhood associations and nonprofit organizations will consider resolving to share their news with us in 2015. Photographs and information about accomplishments and happenings are shared on our pages every week. Call us at (225) 336-6952.
Advocate staff report
Campers attending the Christmas holiday camp at Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center didn’t just learn about nature, said Lauren Herbert, who works at the center as an educator. They also learned a surprising number of survival skills. “We made lean-to structures this week,� Herbert said of the two-day camp Dec. 22-23. At the holiday camp before Thanksgiving, campers constructed a teepee. It’s a fun way, camp directors said, to teach students about the natural world around them. One of the first things campers learned was the difference between native and invasive trees and plants, and they systematically harvested
Walking group meets at library
Advocate photo by C.J. FUTCH
Emily Teague, 9, works beside Olivia Brown, 7, while they mix baking soda and hair conditioner to make a snowlike mixture they later used to make ‘snowmen’ at the Dec. 23 Bluebonnet Swamp äSee NATURE, page 2G Nature Center camp.
If walking is on your list of resolutions, check out the Your Pace or Mine Walking Group at the Jones Creek Regional Library. The group, which meets at 6 p.m. Monday, walks mapped routes surrounding the library. In the event of evening showers, the Pacers will walk inside the library. All levels of fitness are represented, so ev-
Darlene Denstorff AROUND THE SOUTHEAST
DDENSTORFF@ THEADVOCATE.COM
eryone is welcome to join. Call (225) 756-1150 for information or to sign up.
Program encourages volunteers
Opening Doors, a Baton Rougearea nonprofit organization, recently completed its Holiday Superstore program. Parents of children at the Charlie Thomas Head Start were challenged to volunteer at the school to earn points for their children to receive Christmas gifts, a news release from the program said. After the points were earned,
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members of St. John’s United Methodist Church shopped from wish lists provided by the children and their families. One hundred families took part, earning 88 bicycles and hundreds of gifts for their children.
Group helps deal with trachs
The Trach Support Group is meeting at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Times Grill, 5207 Essen Lane. The free program, which meets the first Monday of each month, is for parents of children with tracheostomy tubes. Parents share resources and information. The group plans to start a Denham Springs meeting soon. For information, call (225) 2005178. Contact Southeast Advocate Editor Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 336-6952 or (225) 603-1998; or email southeast@theadvocate.com. Deadline: noon Monday.