Steve Niccolai has been a Greeley Recreation member for several years. He’s a dedicated athlete and is committed to working out at least 5 days a week. Things haven’t slowed him down since he retired four months ago; in fact, they’ve been ramping up over the last year.
Niccolai’s goal is to remain active and stay fit so he can accomplish his dream of continuing to travel and hike throughout the country. He experienced a personal setback two years ago when he ruptured a disc in his back. At that time, he was a competitive CrossFit contestant. During the past ten years, he had been so passionate about the sport that he’d typically work out 5-6 days a week and compete on a regular basis. After his injury, he had to modify his workouts and pay more attention to his movements. His physician recommended that he start walking to build strength. On a follow-up visit, when asked how much he was walking, his doctor was shocked to learn he was walking 5 hours a day or over 75 miles a week to help improve his overall health.
Although Niccolai’s focus has changed a bit since his injury, he still feels it’s important to improve his flexibility and physical condition to maintain his active lifestyle. He loves to hike and snowshoe, so trips to the mountains are always on his bucket list. To help keep him on the right track, he picks activities that complement his hobbies. On a typical week, you’ll see Niccolai attending several of Greeley Recreation’s fitness classes: Cycle Circuit, Total Body Conditioning, Yoga, and Spinning are some of his favorites. He also uses the weight room on weekends, occasionally lap swims, and plays tennis every week. He likes the variety of fitness classes offered at the Family FunPlex and Greeley Recreation Center. As a member, he can visit both facilities and take their fitness classes at no additional charge.
He started taking Yoga with Edie at the FunPlex, to help maintain his flexibility after his back injury. “She was so encouraging and knew how to teach to all levels of abilities,” said Niccolai. He knows that everyone has limitations with their physical bodies and feels Greeley Recreation works hard to ensure everyone attending classes is comfortable. “They scale and modify moves for any fitness program to meet each person’s needs,” said Niccolai. “The instructors make it inviting and are open to questions and suggestions.” Niccolai went on to say, “They do a beautiful job! It really is a testament to the leadership; they’ve hired some quality staff.”
Being only 63 years old, Niccolai isn’t ready for the SilverSneakers® fitness classes yet but loves to see people maintaining their activity level as they age. He feels it’s important to remain active at any age to ensure you’re living your best life.
Article date:
March 31, 2021