Three more chances to join the fun at Pinnacle’s ‘Fit Summer Series’

Kristen Bridgers, marketing manager of the Pinnacle at Turkey Creek, is a yoga enthusiast. Bayer Properties, which manages Turkey Creek, has sponsored exercise classes at other retail centers across the country, she said, and now Turkey Creek is getting in on the action.

Pinnacle at Turkey Creek is sponsoring a series of four outdoor exercise classes led by area experts.

“The Fit Summer Series is a way to involve the West Knox [County] community with active, outdoor happenings,” she said Wednesday, July 12, at the yoga class held in the shaded drive between Panera Bread and Fleming’s Steakhouse. “We want to offer them for free to people of all ages, sizes and levels of fitness and give local residents fun opportunities to move.

The series kicked off at 9 a.m., July 12, with Kris Evans from Blue Ridge Yoga leading Yin Yoga. A small group of women turned out on a sunny Wednesday, and spread their mats on a large piece of green Astroturf.

“We were doing a style of yoga that was designed to train the body to be able to sit longer through meditation,” Evans said. “It works specifically with stretching the connective tissue, ligaments and joints. Practice moves at a slower pace. The muscles remain soft and poses or asanas are held longer, anywhere from three to five minutes, allowing the body to take its time to gradually release and lengthen these connective tissues — great practice for those already leading an active lifestyle and in addition to the many other styles of yoga.”

“I was there with my daughter, Cobi,” Kelly Hughs said. “She is 15 and about to turn 16, and she really enjoyed it and said that it gave her a lot of energy and she would like to go again. I felt it was really good, easy with

areas of challenge. Kris is a very good instructor. I’ve done yoga my whole life and what I liked was that we didn’t have to open our eyes and break our silence.

“It’s a very gentle form of yoga, but very effective,” she added. “It’s a great opportunity I think especially with young girls and boys in that age bracket where they’re becoming independent of their relationship with their mother or father. It gives an opportunity for mothers and daughters or fathers and sons to come together and do something together. It’s very good for their spirit.”

Three more classes are on the schedule: Wednesday, July 26: “Circuit Cardio with Kim” of Kim Day Training; Saturday, Aug. 12: “Dance Fitness with Jessica,” with Jessica Bass, and Wednesday, Aug. 23: “Yoga Flow with Kris” of Blue Ridge Yoga. All classes are free and begin at 9 a.m. in the drive between Panera and Fleming’s Steakhouse. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mats.