As part of NETA’s 2026 Virtual Fit Fest, Marie Sadusky will present Bench & Box: Step Up Swinging on Sunday, February 22, 2026, from 3-6 p.m. CT.
Here’s a preview of what participants can expect from this engaging session for fitness professionals seeking new choreography to expand their programming.
Bench & Box: Step Up Swinging
By Marie Sadusky, MS, RYT 500
Both cardio kickboxing and step aerobics are high-energy, high-intensity, stress-relieving, and enjoyable forms of exercise. For some instructors, however, choreographing classes can feel challenging or intimidating. Developing the knowledge and skills to effectively teach and demonstrate fundamental cardio kickboxing and step aerobics techniques provides the foundation for creating simple yet engaging combinations that are easy for participants to follow and fun to perform.
Why Bench & Box?
Step Aerobics and Cardio Kickboxing are important for fitness professionals because they provide a full body workout that improves cardiorespiratory health, muscle strength, and coordination, while also offering participants variety and engaging, low-impact options. These classes help professionals build a diverse set of skills, catering to a wide range of people. These classes can also help participants achieve multiple fitness goals, such as calorie burn and weight management, as well as stress relief and improved mental health.
Benefits for Participants
- Cardiorespiratory Health: Both forms of exercise provide effective aerobic workouts that strengthen the heart and lungs, which can lead to improved endurance, a lower resting heart rate, and a reduced risk of heart disease.
- Strength and Endurance: Step aerobics builds strength in the legs, glutes, and core, while cardio kickboxing provides a full-body workout that strengthens the upper and lower body with movements focusing on the core. This leads to improved muscular strength and overall endurance.
- Coordination and Balance: Cardio kickboxing improves agility and coordination through the combination of punches and kicks, while step aerobics enhances functional fitness, stablilty, and balance.
- Weight Management: The high-intensity nature of both workouts ensures a significant calorie burn, mkaing them effective tools for weight loss and fat reduction.
- Mental and Emotional Health: Both types of activity can help reduce stress, boost mood, and improve mental and emotional well-being.
Benefits for Fitness Professionals
- Expanded Service Offerings: By becoming proficient in different formats, fitness professionals can offer a wider range of classes attracting diverse participants.
- Engagement: The dynamic and fun nature of these workouts engages and motivates participants, keeping them coming back for more.
- Adaptable Training Skills: Fitness professionals can use the principles of both disciplines to design creative and effective workouts that can be modified for different fitness levels, from beginner to advanced.
- Low-Impact Options: Fitness Professionals can modify both styles to be lower-impact, making them suitable for participants who want (or need) a joint-friendly alternative of higher-intensity exercise.
Why Teach Fusion Classes?
Fusion classes are highly relevant for fitness professionals because they are time-efficient and offer comprehensive fitness benefits that help attract and retain a diverse range of participants. By blending multiple disciplines, fitness professionals can deliver the combined benefits of cardiovascular conditioning, strength, agility, and flexibility within a single, engaging workout. This approach helps prevent boredom and allows classes to be easily adapted to accommodate varying fitness levels and age groups.
Attracting and Retaining Participants
- Meets Modern Needs: Participants with limited time can achieve comprehensive fitness goals in one session, appealing to busy professionals and people who want effective workouts tailored to their needs.
- Increases Participant Variety: Fusion classes can be designed to incorporate multiple types of exercise, catering to a wide range of participant interests and fitness levels.
- Boosts Engagement: By combining various disciplines, fusion classes can make physical activity feel more enjoyable, improving long-term attendance.
- Provides a Well-Rounded Workout: Fusion classes offer a balanced approach to fitness, integrating different training types to build muscle, improve cardiovascular health, and enhance flexibility and balance simultaneously.
Benefits for Professionals and Participants
- Enhances Physical Health: Participants benefit from a combination of strength, endurance, and flexibility, leading to a healthier physique, improved metabolic rate, and an overall stronger body.
- Improves Mental and Emotional Wellness: Fusion classes can combine physical activity with mindfulness; improving focus, reducing stress, and fostering a deeper connection with the body.
- Offers Adaptability: Fitness professionals can easily adapt fusion workouts to accommodate different fitness levels adn a wide range of physical ability, making the classes more inclusive.
- Fosters Creativity and Professional Growth: Developing and instructing fusion classes can help fitness professionals stay creative and engaged, leading to a deeper understanding of their own bodies while improving their teaching skills.
I look forward to being a guest presenter at this year’s NETA Virtual Fit Fest and hope to inspire fitness professionals to create and teach brand new classes or add some new ideas to their current offerings to keep their classes fresh and engaging!
Marie Sadusky is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher and holds a Master’s degree in Health Education, and a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. She has been involved in the fitness industry for over 25 years, teaching a variety of formats and demographics. She is currently the health and physical education teacher for the Ithaca City School District, where she also participates as a member of the Wellness Committee.
