Recess in the Gym: TRX Total Body Workout System Now Available at all BayCare Wellness Centers

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Dec 14, 2012, 02:56 ET

CLEARWATER, Fla., Dec. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The jungle gym has come off the playground and into the gym – and this time, adults get to play on it. Created by a former Navy SEAL, the TRX Total Body Workout system now is available at all BayCare Health System Wellness Centers.

People who work out on the system hold two straps attached to a stable A-frame that looks similar to a swing-set frame. They also can place one or both feet into the straps. Using the straps for balance and resistance, the user performs a series of exercises to complete a full-body strength workout by using gravity and their own body weight to develop strength, balance, and flexibility simultaneously.

"We are so excited to offer TRX for our members because people at all fitness levels can benefit from it," said Jeanmarie Scordino, a personal trainer at the wellness centers and a certified TRX trainer. "An added bonus is that you can do hundreds of different exercises on it, so you never get bored."

For most of the workout, the user's body is suspended while they move forward, backward, or side to side. The workout targets all muscle groups, but emphasizes the core, helping to create flexibility, aesthetics, and functional strength.

The design lets the user move more freely than they could on their own, creating functional core strength and improving balance. By adjusting their body, the user can increase or decrease resistance, controlling how much challenge each exercise will offer.

"Because the TRX is designed for all fitness levels, it can be used by someone who is recovering from an injury and needs to develop occupational skills or by an elite athlete," said Scordino. "It keeps training fun so it feels more like recess instead of a chore, and the movements challenge the entire body in every plane of motion."

TRX was developed by a Navy SEAL who was looking for a way to stay fit while traveling. He experimented with an old jiu-jitsu belt and some parachute webbing, and hung the creation over a door. Soon, he was doing pull-ups, presses, curls, shoulder raises, flys, pull-overs, triceps extensions, and more.

Since then, he has built his company into one whose product is used in the training rooms of the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, and all four branches of the U.S. military.

Wellness Center members who are interested in trying out the TRX system should contact their local BayCare Wellness Center to learn more about group coaching, partner training, or one-on-one training. TRX does not require you to bring any equipment or wear additional accessories. If you are not a member, but are interested in learning more, contact your local BayCare Wellness Center.

About BayCare Health System Wellness Centers

BayCare Health System offers three state-of-the-art wellness centers that go beyond aerobics and weight lifting to encompass total wellness – body, mind and spirit. The focus is on medically based fitness. Convenient locations are available throughout Pinellas County, Fla. at: Cheek-Powell Wellness Center at Morton Plant Hospital; Carillon Wellness Center at St. Anthony's Outpatient Center, St. Petersburg; and Palm Harbor Wellness Center at Palm Lake Shopping Center, Palm Harbor.

About BayCare Health System

BayCare Health System is a leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area. Composed of a network of 10 not-for-profit hospitals, outpatient facilities and services such as imaging, lab, behavioral health and home health care, BayCare provides expert medical care throughout a patient's lifetime. With more than 200 access points conveniently located throughout Tampa Bay, BayCare connects patients to a complete range of preventive, diagnostic and treatment services for any health care need.

BayCare's family of hospitals are: Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's, St. Joseph's Children's, St. Joseph's Hospital-North, St. Joseph's Women's, and South Florida Baptist. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.

SOURCE BayCare Health System