Krista Scurria has been teaching Jazzercise for five years and has had her own studio for the last year and a half. The majority of her clients are female, “but there are a few brave men who take the classes.” All ages, levels, and sizes are welcome; currently her participants range in age from thirteen to eighty-four. Scurria has a BS in Physical Therapy from St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO and still works part time as a physical therapist for EarlySteps, Louisiana’s Early Intervention System under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. She employs eight Jazzercise instructors.
Jazzercise, which has been around for 38 years, is great for weight loss and cardiovascular conditioning. Each class combines cardio moves to enhance endurance and burn calories; strength training to define muscles and strengthen the body’s core; and stretching to increase flexibility. “We’ve taken moves from hip-hop, yoga, Pilates, jazz dance, kick-boxing, and resistance training and bundled them into one hour. Most clients say they have fun while blasting the fat.”