Stephanie Gonzalez, 17, is propped up on her elbows, stretched into the "plank" position on an exercise mat in the small multipurpose gymnasium at Highview Alternative Program in Robbinsdale.
Legs straight back, feet together, Stephanie looks determined to hold her pose during a two-minute assessment period as trainer Shayne Adair encourages her and her classmates to "keep holding, keep breathing." Some give in before time is up, but Stephanie lasts to the end.
During this final session of an eight-week fitness class at Highview, a district school for at-risk students in grades 10 through 12, Adair and Deanna Reiter, wellness director for the National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA) in Golden Valley, are evaluating the progress of several teens who participated in this pilot exercise program.
