STEPHANIE CHASE teaches dance class at Chase Firm Fitness studio Thursday afternoon.
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By Keliy Johnson
Senior Editor
Tucked away in Lincoln’s historic
Haymarket district are two people
dedicated to promoting health and fit
ness. Bob and Stephanie Chase, a fit
ness guru and former Rockette, respec-'
tively, are passionate about their lives’
work. • _.
In 1983, the Nebraskans took their
Midwestern^vaiues and big-city
dreams, to New York City. When they
jettfrned to Lincoln in 1993, they
brought the Big Apple — and a mes
sage about healthy living — back to
Big Red country.
Today, as the owners of Chase Firm
Fitness Program, 701 P St., they make
a living by keeping fit. As instructors,
Bob leads th$, fitness classes and
Stephanie runs their studio’s ballet, tap
and jazz classes. But as teachers, they
teach their students about respect, for
life and for others. And respect for then
bodies, for their health, for their well
being.
New York was good to them. There
they found bagels worth an hour’s
success. Ami
to share with stu
dents in Nebraska.
Stress Reliever
In large cities, everyone works out
to relieve stress, Bob Chase said. In
4 • • W * * \ • I '
fact, many large corporations have fit
ness andates for employees, he said.
Whe he and Stephanie arrived in
New York, fitness was just getting big,
he said. He taught classes at American
Express’ corporate headquarters. The
company provided workout clothes
and an on-site wellness center, and all
employees were required to attend fit
ness class.
He said the students he watched
achieve successlife shared common
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attributes: They were hardworking,
frientfly »id positive.
“In all fields, the thread (of success)
was taking care of the body and
health,” he said. “People who are suc
ceeding are doing that It’s not a (nil.
it’s a Mandatory pint of their life.”
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“You can get great training here,”
he said. “You can pursue whatever you
want to, and you can succeed.”
When they arrived in New York,
the Chases didn’t know anyone.
“There was no reason we should have
succeeded in New York,” Bob said.
But they pounded the pavement, and
both found jobs dancing.
Hard Work
“Being from Nebraska is a real
in me — about dance •— but more
about being a human being.”
Stephanie said she tries to teach her
students more than dance technique,
too.
“I want to teach kids to like them
selves, to believe in themselves, to
trust themselves, to respect them
selves,” she said. “It worked for me,
and I want to pass it cm.”
While technique and respect are
central to Stephanie’s teaching style,
fitness is also important, she said.
“I really believe in fitness as an
answer,” Stephanie said. “My peak
dancing in New York was a combina
tion of fitness and dancing.”
And she spoke highly of Bob’s fit
ness expertise. • •
Bob was considered a fitness guru
in New York, she said.
“He always had 60 to 65 people in
his classes.”
Sheila Barker, a collegue of Bob’s
at Broadway Dance Studio in New
York, agreed about his popularity.
“His classes were always packed,”
Barker said. “He is so full of life a J
love and respect.”
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best 38 designed to be the
out stressing the joints,
weight
warmup is important.
“The warmup pushes stored body
fat into the tlzzi stream to bum it up.”
The fat-burmng section of aerobic
climbing on die bench and strength
training with weights is 40 minutes
long.
“We’re not building big uscle
mass,” he said. ‘We’re going for lean
muscle. It’s healthier and stays with
you longer.”
Bob calls the routine a fat-burning
aerobic workout with weights.
“It achieves all fitness goals.
People become leaner, achieve defini
tion and get flexibility training.”
The cool-down is also very impor
tant, Chase said. It keeps the muscles
long and keeps lactic aci^ moving, so
people don’t cramp, ana it enables
them to be prepared for their next
workout. '
I • • / • #•
Healthy Living
Bob uses the time in class to talk
to students about being healthy. He
often gives nutrition tips.
“You should be eating five to six
small meals a day,” he said, because
the t: Jy needs calories for energy and
to build muscle. Vs
“You can’t exist in my class with
out eating.” ,.... ?
“Always gotta eat breakfast to get
the metabolism going,” he says.
“If you don’t eat, your body won’t
be fired up.” v
He eats a variety of foods, and he
never skips meals. ?
“The body needs calories every
couple of hours,” he said. “If you don’t
have energy, you hold onto fat. You’ve
got to eat and work out to get ideal
health and fitness.”
And staying fit brings many ben
efits, Bob said.
“People who are in shape are more
productive and more marketable,” he
said.
So much of physical fitness is men
tal, he said.
“Think about these things: Do you
want to be marketable? Do you want
to be*good spouse and be active with,
youriddsr J
BOB CHASE leads a fitness class T\i
• ' * 1
BOB, SIDNEY AND STEPHANIE dJ
on lnursdsy. r