The Unit is a Dayton-based, volunteer-driven, community-focused fitness group that hosts free bootcamp-style workouts. Contributed
Contributed
Stretching, sprinting, sweating and lots of smiling — The Unit is more than an exercise group, it’s a community.
The Unit is a Dayton-based, volunteer-driven, community-focused fitness group that hosts free bootcamp-style workouts weekly from now through October at RiverScape MetroPark, 111 E. Monument Ave. Sessions are 6-7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“Any age, any size, any shape — everyone is welcome,” said Terry Perdue, The Unit founder. “Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced, we can adjust every exercise — the challenge is customized to you.”
Beyond the workouts, members also work to better the community by participating in a wide range of service events throughout the year.
“Our vision is ‘Improving self, improving community,’” Perdue said.
Better health
High-intensity interval training — or HIIT — such as boot camp-type exercise classes, continues to be popular across a wide range of ages and abilities. This type of training offers both cardio and strength-training benefits as well as the advantages of camaraderie and community.
The Unit has been helping members build muscle and build community since 2009. Contributed
Contributed
Charlie Shivers III stumbled upon The Unit three years ago and never looked back.
“I was relatively new to working out — not totally sedentary, but I didn’t have much energy — when I first saw them at RiverScape,” Shivers said. “What keeps me coming back is the encouragement, it’s a great group of people.”
Shivers is quick to point out that he feels better at 45 than he did at 30.
“I’ve even run a few 5Ks,” he said.
The success stories are plentiful for the group that has been offering free fitness classes for close to two decades. With the cost of many things rising, free fitness is a definite selling point.
“I’d say we’ve had more than 10,000 different people work out with us over the years,” Perdue said.
Better community
Since its founding in 2009, The Unit has participated in events sponsored by the University of Dayton, Habitat for Humanity, Community Action Partnership, United Against Violence of Greater Dayton and many other local organizations.
“It’s about encouraging people, building confidence and community as much as working out,” Perdue said. “We really work to make a difference.”
The Unit is a Dayton-based, volunteer-driven, community-focused fitness group that hosts free bootcamp-style workouts weekly. Contributed
Contributed
The Unit also provides a positive outlet for families as participants range in age from young children to those in their 60s and 70s. Parents are often running alongside their kids or seeing who can hold a plank longer.
The older members of the group serve as inspiration to the 47-year-old founder.
“I plan to be able to do this until the day I leave this earth,” he said.
For more information, visit The Unit on social media.