New year, new you?

As people prepare for each New Year, a seemingly common resolution is to go to the gym more often. The Saratoga Recreation Department is looking to make that resolution just a little bit easier by holding an open house on January 7.

Entering her fourth month as the new recreation director, Sarah Laughlin is hoping to get more Valley residents involved in the Saratoga Recreation Department. According to Laughlin, one of the purposes of the open house is to show people what classes are offered. Currently, the recreation department offers four different classes which are held on different days throughout the week.

One such class is Low Impact Fitness, which is geared towards senior citizens and people with mobility issues and utilizes chairs. On the opposite end of the fitness spectrum is Morning Mashup, which is a high intensity, interval training workout. While it can be modified for all ages, this program requires a lot of movement on the floor. Other programs taught at the Saratoga Recreation Department include an indoor cycling class and Qigong (pronounced chi gung), a Chinese energetic medicine exercise similar to Tai Chi.

"The instructors will be there as a meet-and-greet so people can meet the instructors, get a sample of the classes the instructors teach," said Laughlin. "It will just be a sampling of the classes and then it will be a chance for the public to ask about some things they'd like to see (and) offer suggestions of courses they would like to see people teach. We'll (also) have a survey of the scheduling."

Along with holding an open house to showcase the classes currently offered and seeking recommendations for other classes, there is another reason behind holding the event the first week of the year. Anyone who signs up in the first week of January will receive a discount on their yearly membership for either the Two Star or Gold Star memberships. The Two Star Membership is $250 per year for a single person and $25 for each family member over 13 years old and the Gold Star Membership is $375 per year for a single person and $50 for each family member over 13 years old.

During the first week of January, new members will get either $25 off the Two Star Membership or $50 off the Gold Star Membership.

Finally, if someone doesn't want a gym membership, Laughlin hopes they will want to join the Saratoga Recreation Department as a volunteer for one of several youth programs operated out of the department.

"This is also an opportunity, if you don't want to join the gym itself you can come in and sign-up to be a member to help the youth out and volunteer to coach or scorekeep or just supervise," said Laughlin.

The Saratoga Recreation Center Open House will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, January 7 at the Saratoga Recreation Center at 214 W. Elm Street in Saratoga.