LEBANON — Like many active in the Upper Valley fitness world, John Cioffredi has created an exercise option for people looking to stay fit during the coronavirus pandemic. The former Lebanon High runner’s efforts have a twist, however.
A onetime college decathlete, Cioffredi found few outlets for learning about exercise and movement science when he was in high school. Now that he’s two years out of college, Cioffredi has started Community Strength, a program that stages free fitness classes led by two recent high school graduates who plan on studying exercise science in college.
As with the movements Cody Davis and Nick Kent teach in each half-hour class, Cioffredi has two parts going at once: workouts for people seeking a starting point, and practical experience for instructors in training.
“When I was in high school, I was very much interested in exercise fitness, the science behind training and all that,” the 24-year-old Cioffredi explained this week. “There really weren’t any classes aimed at that in high school and college, to be honest. I wanted to help give students exposure to exercise science if they’re interested in looking to go into the health industry, especially athletes in high school who might have that curiosity but don’t necessarily have the means through more traditional high school practices.”
Cioffredi began working with Kent and Davis in January, holding weekly two-hour classes in the science of movement. He guided the two through the American Council on Exercise certification required of group fitness leaders. Kent, a recent Hartford High graduate, and Davis, just out of Lebanon High, researched exercises and created routines that could be employed in a group setting, rotating movements to provide variety.
Classes began in June at two outdoor sites, in front of Hartford High and under the pavilion behind Lebanon’s CCBA Witherell Center. Davis and Kent usually lead the workouts in their respective towns, but Wednesday’s CCBA gathering marked the first time they’d tag-teamed as instructors.
“This has been so closely related to what I want to do, and I thought this would be a great experience,” said Kent, whose interest in fitness grew from regular powerlifting workouts with his older brother, Zach, at home. “Just about everything about this is what I love about fitness in general.”
Cioffredi connected with Davis through a Lebanon High chemistry class. Like Cioffredi, Davis plans to run cross country and track in college. The six-month Community Strength internship has turned into something of a summer job.
“(Not working) has given me time to focus on this, which is good,” Davis said. “The only experience I’d really had was the very rudimentary knowledge I learned from track and just movement in general. In the actual group fitness instruction, I had no experience.”
The workouts are tailored toward people who want to exercise but are either unsure of where to start or aren’t interested in a gym membership, Cioffredi said. He worked with Lebanon Parks and Recreation to find class members, some of whom have also joined from the Upper Valley Running Club’s Couch-to-5K program.
Davis will continue running competitively at Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University, where he’s already been accepted into the school’s doctoral program for physical therapy. The six months spent with Community Strength are giving him a head start.
“It’s a really good baseline of knowledge, and it’s going to help me to apply it to more classes as I progress,” Davis said.
Kent has family members in the medical field, and he’s open to many options for a career as he heads to the University of Vermont. He’s discovered an unexpected joy from the Community Strength experience.
“I honestly love teaching people; I never realized how much I liked it before doing this,” he said. “I was surprised how willing people were to learn about their bodies. … It’s nice to know that people want to get out and improve their health.”
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.