There’s more than one way for students to improve and maintain their health and fitness at Powell High School.

During Powell High’s sixth period, passersby might see students in the gymnasium participating in a Zumba class, pilates, non-contact combat class and many more activities taught with help by instructors from Club Dauntless.  

“This class is super helpful, just because I feel like you're working out but also having fun at the same time,” freshman Cambree Dicks said. “Like there's some days where we're working with Dauntless instructors and there's other days where it's playing games, or just doing whatever we'd like to do to work out and stay active.”

Dicks is a member of the group exercise and wellness class at Powell High School, and in her opinion it’s more enjoyable than traditional PE where the activities are chosen for you.

The group exercise and wellness class, as well as a recreation and lifetime activities class, are in their first year at Powell High, PE teacher Charli Fluty said. There had been a desire to have the classes for a long time but the classes’ incorporation into the Powell High class schedule “stemmed from” student interviews Fluty conducted during her master’s program.

During her master’s program Fluty was able to hear what students wanted from the PE program, and the group exercise and wellness class in particular was brought up.

“You look in there and you see kids that may not take PE ever again after PE 1, but they want to be in this class because it's something different,” Fluty said. “It's something new, and another benefit, I think, is these group classes are something that you can directly take into your adult life.”

Dicks said that prior to the class she didn’t like going to the gym but knew it was important to stay in shape for sports. Now, “I have fun working out and I want to work out more.”

The group exercise class is an opportunity to try new things, which is why it appeals to Dicks’ classmate Alexis Helfrich.

“I like this class because you get to try new things, like I’ve never done Zumba before and here I am doing Zumba, and there’s weightlifting and other stuff that we do.”

Helfrich has also noticed that the class has helped build muscle, cardio and endurance.

During the week instructors from Club Dauntless lead the students through a group class, and Zumba and Melanie Matthew’s non-contact combat class are favorites of the teenage athletes. When students aren’t dancing the afternoon away in a Zumba class they focus on their own fitness assessments with or without partners. Senior Levi Hawley has a wheel of “Just Dance” with his partner Alyssa Godsey, the goal is to improve their endurance while still having fun. 

Hayley Sorenson, the athletics director for Club Dauntless, said the students love the group fitness format and Dauntless’ trainers who come down to teach also enjoy the experience. The class is opening a world of group training to students outside of the weights to Powell High students, she said.

She added that Dauntless is grateful to Powell High and Fluty for giving them the opportunity to be involved in the community.

Club Dauntless trainers donate their time to teach Powell High students different ways of staying active.

The lifetime activities class has been a popular option among multiple demographics and will have four sections next semester, Fluty said. There was only one class section for the fall semester.

As of Nov. 28 the group exercise class had not been picked up for the spring semester, “no one really knew what to expect,” Fluty said. The current roster of students in the class were the only kids who signed up, but after seeing what the class can be, student demand has grown.