Group Wellness Classes - Carolina Preserve at Amberly

HomeGroup Wellness Classes

W E L L N E S S

Your Active Adult Lifestyle is vital for maintaining good health.

At Carolina Preserve, an array of health, wellness and fitness opportunities are at your disposal.

Join the Fitness Interest Group to receive email alerts about the Wellness Department.
Click here to join!

Come get started!
Your first class is free or set up your free orientation today.

Keri Diacumakos

Wellness Director

Director's Hours

Monday: 9:00am - 1:30pm

Tuesday: 9:00am - 1:00pm

Wednesday: 10:00am - 12:00pm

Thursday: 9:00am - 1:00pm

Friday: 9:00am - 1:30pm

Fitness Orientations with Keri
When: by appointment
Cost: Free

Have you ever wanted to learn how to use the rowing machine? There's a brand new rower in the Fitness Center, so now there are 2! Email Keri for an appointment to learn.

Click Here to Email Keri!

Our Wellness Director oversees weekly group exercise classes by trained Instructors for all levels of ability.

Class Descriptions

AQUA FITNESS

Provides the perfect blend of cardio and muscle conditioning. Exercising in the pool is like exercising in a liquid gym. Increased muscle demand creates increased oxygen consumption. Water exercise can increase, flexibility, strength, heart health, coordination, and overall well-being.

CBS- CORE/BALANCE/SCULPT

A combination of floor and standing movement, with an emphasis on balance, core strength and stability, muscle work and flexibility. Dumbbells will be used.

CHAIR STRENGTH

Class includes a 5-minute warm up, 10 minutes of low impact cardio to get your heart rate up, 20 minutes of strength (using dumbbells, tubes, and balls), and finally a 10 minute stretch. This class is designed for everyone to attend with all varieties of limitation and joint issues. The chair is used as a prop for balance and stability but can also be used sit throughout class as needed on an individual basis.

CARDIO STRENGTH

This class alternates intervals of cardio and strength training with choreographed routines. You will target all muscle groups for a full body training session while jamming out to fun music. Build strength and endurance and improve your heart and lung health!

CHAIR YOGA

The focus of this class is on the balance between the structural alignment of the body in yoga poses (Asanas) and the focus of the mind and breath for maximum benefit to each student. We focus on the development of strength, stamina, flexibility, and balance, as well as concentration. Chairs will be used during the class for support.

GENTLE FLOW YOGA

Vinyasa Yoga inspired class where we move our body the rhythm of our breath. Flow is a combination of accessible poses, fluid movement, and breath. Over the course of 60 minutes, you will move through a series of poses that gently engage and open all the major muscle groups. You will leave feeling stretched, strengthened, and relaxed. Participants must be able to get on the floor, but chairs can be used for stability. Modifications and props available to accommodate all ability levels.

JAZZ

This upbeat dancing style includes choreography for arms, hands, legs, and feet. The class begins with a warmup an builds a routine. Usually, the music and routine changes monthly, giving the dancers time to fine-tune their movements. We could dance to show tunes, oldies, or classics.

JAZZERCISE

Burn up to 600 calories in one fun and powerfully effective 60-minute total body workout. Every Jazzercise group dance fitness class combines dance-based cardio with strength training and stretching to sculpt, tone, and lengthen muscles for a maximum fat burn. Start dancing yourself fit and change the shape of your body today!

BALLET

The ballet class focuses on smooth movements set to beautiful music. Engage in gentle stretching, strengthen your muscles, improve flexibility, and enhance balance and posture. The class includes barre and some simple floor choreography that incorporates weight transfer, directional changes, and range of motion.

STRENGTH AND BALANCE

This is a basic weight training class that will increase bone density, decrease risk of osteoporosis, increase strength and endurance, and prevent injuries. We will integrate balance exercises into the class to help increase your everyday mobility and balance.

TAP I

In this class you are taught the basic movements of tap (stomp, step, stamp, shuffle, flap, ball-change, etc.) and incorporate them into combinations to build a simple tap dance routine.

TAP II

In Tap II you improve your tap speed, rhythm, quality of tap sounds and the ability to pick up choreography; and learn to execute intermediate tap steps and sequences using proper technique and skills. Choreographed routines will be incorporated to enhance your skills.

YOGALATES

This fitness routine combines Pilates exercises with the postures and breathing techniques of yoga.

ZUMBA GOLD

Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy to follow, Latin inspired, calorie burning dance fitness party that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.

What the Fitness Center has to offer!

Have you ever wondered what the fitness center is all about? What am I missing? Who is this crazy Wellness Director everyone is talking about? Well, here is everything you need to know and possibly some things you don’t...

I am Keri Diacumakos, your Wellness Director here at Carolina Preserve! I have been working in fitness off and on since 1996. I was a swimmer in high school and a rower for Clemson University where I attended college and met my husband of 26 years. Fitness has always been my outlet and frankly my savior many times. I was a lifeguard, taught swim lessons, and was a fitness trainer before starting my career in human resources. Then came the best role of my life, the mom of 3 amazing children! As my children grew up, I found my way back to working in fitness as a group fitness instructor teaching one of my passions, cycling. This has led me into teaching strength training and Silver Sneakers, or classes for seniors. Stacy Cole introduced me to Carolina Preserve 4 years ago and I've been here ever since.

I am a certified personal trainer through ACE, and I am certified to teach Spin, Strength Training, Aqua, and Silver Sneakers. I am very passionate about staying active at all ages and helping seniors feel healthy and happy!

Don't forget that if you haven't tried a fitness class yet, your first one is free. You don’t need to sign up, just show up.

Now, what does the fitness center have to offer me?

In short …. a heck of a lot. We have cardio equipment such as treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes, spin bikes, Nu steps, and a rower. We also have strength training machines, free weights, exercise balls, medicine balls, kettle bells, stretching and balance equipment, and more.

You don’t know how to use all this? No excuses! I will happily set you up with an orientation to show you around and help you get started. Yes, this orientation is free so you should take advantage of this!

Just shoot me a quick email and we will get you on the calendar, Keri@Kuester.com. Orientations typically take about 45 minutes.

The best way to stay updated on anything related to the fitness center or group fitness classes is to register to get emails from the Fitness Interest Group on the Carolina Preserve website.

Contracted Personal Trainers

If that’s not enough, we also offer independently contracted personal trainers if you need that extra little motivation and accountability. This means that they train here at Carolina Preserve but are contract employees that are paid directly.

Currently, the two trainers who are accepting new clients are
Karen Jass (kljass@aol.com)
and
Jason Torau (jtorau.rcs@gmail.com)

Feel free to email Keri Diacumakos with any questions you may have.

Karen Jass
My background in Group Fitness teaching, and club and program management. I have worked in small to large clubs, community centers and corporations, and recognize the difference between these organizations in program development and implementation. While serving as the Minnesota State Representation for IDEA- the International Association for Fitness Professionals, I realized the tremendous scope and importance of this industry, and as a Continuing Education provider for fitness instructors, I also recognize the various skills needed to provide safe, effective fitness programming to a wide variety of individuals.
With over 40 years of experience in the Fitness industry, I make it a goal to stay current with research and trends and specialize in areas of personal interest. By maintaining my own certifications through continuing education, I have chosen to focus most recently on working with Active Adults. This includes content in areas of Corrective Exercise and Functional Aging, as well as skill sets in programming for strength, balance, stamina and flexibility. I recently became certified as a Cancer Exercise Specialist and hope to help others regain function after illness.
If you have seen my classes, you know my mantra: "No pain, no pain". Exercise should be challenging but doable. I hope to have clients leave a session with increased energy and positivity. Fear should not be a part of this process. Establishing trust with a trainer is essential, with open communication on both sides.

Availability
Mondays: 1:00-4:00 [1:00, 1:45, 2:30, 3:15]
Thursdays: 11:00-2:00 [11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 1:15]
Please contact: kljass@aol.com

Jason Torau
Jason is a native of Greensburg, PA. and attended California University of Pennsylvania where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training. Upon finishing his graduate degree, Jason landed a job as head personal trainer at the Aerobic Center in Greensburg. His responsibilities included overseeing and scheduling a staff of 10 part time trainers, developing, and implementing workouts for new members, working with mentally and physically handicapped clients and assisting cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation classes.
Jason moved to North Carolina in 2003 and worked for a personal training company in Durham, Carrboro, and Apex before landing at Carolina Preserve. In July, Jason started his 11th year at CP! Currently, he trains his clients in the fitness center Monday through Friday. He believes in making his clients work hard while making it fun. In his eyes, "it's never too late to start improving your mental or physical wellbeing."
Jason enjoys weight training, running, biking, hiking, attending concerts, outdoor movies, and live sporting events. Jason is also a pet sitter within Carolina preserve, so you may see him throughout the community walking a dog.

Please feel free to contact him for information or references at jtorau.rcs@gmail.com or (919) 619-6900.