For three days each week at Welches Middle School, nearly two dozen
students voluntarily arrive an hour early to school for some physical fitness;
exercise for their bodies before the exercise for their minds.

The group, called Fitness Club, started up after Christmas break and is led by
physical education and health teacher Morgan Reed and science teacher Dan
Wright, who have developed a steady and dedicated following.

“I don’t like going a long period of time without doing a sport or exercise,”
said Nolberto Perez-Aguilera, 14, an eighth grade student who participates in
football, basketball and track. “If I do that, I end up losing my strength. This
really helps me keep up my strength, my cardio. It helps me better,
personally, to move onto my next sport. It helps me keep in shape.”

The club sets up circuit training in the school’s weight room, including up to
15 stations where students can exercise specific areas on bench presses and
exercise machines, while doing sit ups, pushups and other core exercises in
between reps.

Down in the gym, students get in a cardio workout, including running for
approximately 90 seconds, doing an exercise for 30 seconds and then
repeating.

“It’s continuous, it’s tough and I think they’re seeing some benefit from it
now,” said Reed, who also coaches track.

Students have also learned about specific exercise routines, such as P90X,
through videos while focusing on low weight and lots of repetitions in the
workouts.

The students have seen some improvements in their respective athletics since
the club started up, including Perez-Aguilera, who ran the fifth fastest 200-
meter hurdle time and sixth fastest 800-meter time in the state for eighth
grade boys this year.

“I’ve noticed a lot in my speed, I guess, also my durability,” he said.

“During baseball season, I’m looking to hit the ball harder and farther,” added
Deirek Rasmor, 14, an eighth grader. “It’s a lot (of work). You’re sore the
next day, for sure.”

Sixth grader Chapin Andersen also runs track, but his participation in Fitness
Club also has something to do with his friend, fellow sixth grader Sam Mather.

“It seems fun and Sam’s my best bud so I wanted to do it with him,” said
Chapin Andersen, 12. “I guess I’m a little faster.”

Reed noted the club gives students who participate in school sports two
workouts a day on the days Fitness Club is held, while also adding that the
club has been made possible by some equipment donations.

The club would welcome further donations to expand its offerings to students.

Reed added that the club members would like to have one other addition:
greater participation.

“I’d like to see is a lot more people coming,” said Perez-Aguilera. “It’d be fun
to see that.”