Irving Park YMCA Fitness Spotlight with Fitness Director Cathy Karnuth

At the Irving Park YMCA, we know that fitness is more than just a workout — it’s also endurance, confidence, and support! That’s why our programs are mindfully designed to meet the needs of every individual, no matter your age or skill level. We meet you where you are, so you can meet your goals.  

Irving Park Y Fitness Director Cathy Karnuth recently spoke with us about her journey at the YMCA and what sets our fitness programming apart. 

Can you share your background and what inspired you to become a fitness director at the YMCA?  
I've been working in fitness for 20 years. I developed gestational diabetes during my fourth pregnancy and started working out at the Y every day to fight it. I would leave my 7-month-old child in the baby-sitting room and got to know the staff there pretty well. We became fast friends. After I had the baby, the babysitting staff was a life saver for me. They were so accommodating and good to my children and gave me the opportunity to keep up my workout regimen. I actually delivered my fourth daughter 10 pounds lighter than when I got pregnant. 

After my maternity leave, I realized child care for two children was not going to be worth going back to work, but one of the babysitting room staff was going to work full time and asked me if I was interested in taking over her shifts. Back then, we could bring our children with us, so, I agreed.  

I really felt like it was an opportunity to give other parents the peace of mind and time they needed to release their stress and honor their health, which was so helpful for me and my own experience as a mother. I had always been interested in yoga and was enrolled in a year-long teacher training. When I completed my certification, I started teaching yoga.  

In 2006, Irving Park Y was piloting SilverSneakers, an active older adult class, and the fitness director needed help with the launch, so I did the training along with the required group exercise certification to start teaching them. The more I taught, the more I wanted to learn, so I worked on getting my personal training certification and just kept trying to contribute as much as I could. There was a time when I was teaching at five different Ys across Chicago. 

I then was asked to be the part-time fitness coordinator to assist with the administrative tasks associated with managing the fitness staff. That position became the full-time fitness director role, and I have been doing it ever since.   

What sets the fitness programs at the YMCA apart from other gyms or community centers?  
What sets the fitness programs at the Irving Park Y apart from other gyms is there is not pretention at the Y. We really do the best we can to welcome everyone to our programs and modify exercises to accommodate most fitness abilities and experiences. This makes our programs inclusive. It is common to see all age ranges in our classes. We are working together as a community.     

How do you ensure that the fitness classes are inclusive and accessible to all members of the community?  
My door is always open, and members are never afraid of hunting me down when they have ideas or complaints. Another beauty of the Y is we are all very familiar with each other.  

What’s your favorite success story from a member who has participated in your fitness programs?  
One of my many success stories is about Rose Marie. She was 82 years old and came to SilverSneakers every day and was just delightful. She needed a hip replacement and was told she would have to go to a rehabilitation center for eight weeks after her surgery. They released her from the rehab center in two weeks, because she was so well conditioned, she was good to go — at 82! 

What new programs or classes can community members look forward to?  
I will be doing a Gratitude Yoga Meditation Workshop to help members prepare for the holidays on Sunday, November 24, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. for $20 and a Burn the Bird, Friday, November 29, from 9 to 10 a.m. for $15. I will also be starting a Friday night Zumba Dance Party class on December 6 at 6 p.m.    

How do you foster a sense of community and support within your fitness classes?  
Our instructors are amazing! Each of them has their own way of connecting with the members, and THEY create their communities really organically — not just by being so talented at what they do, but by who they are as people.  

One of the things I'm proudest of is that the instructors really care about our members and cultivate meaningful relationships with them. These communities look out for each other, help each other, and encourage each other. 

What are the key benefits of movement and exercise that you think people often overlook?  
Personally, I think people should pay more attention to functional movement as opposed to just achieving a heavier max weight goal. Functional movement encourages strength and flexibility which will keep you strong and less likely to get injured. Recovery is long and difficult — work on not getting hurt.  

What advice would you give to someone who is hesitant about starting their fitness journey?  
What I would like people to know just getting started is this is a lifestyle change. There is no quick fix to good health, but it's not as hard as you think it's going to be. Just start moving.  Walking 20 minutes every day — that's it. The mental and emotional clarity you get from a 20-minute walk is immense.  

Stop thinking about the scale, and start focusing on how you feel and what you want to be able to accomplish. I promise if you start moving and get your heart rate up 20 to 30 minutes every day, it will make an impact on your well-being. You will have more energy and feel better, I guarantee it.  

My other suggestion to getting started is just take a free class — try them all. See what brings you joy and do THAT. Our group exercise classes are very inviting. They’re fun, and people who participate in group exercise classes are statistically more likely to stick with their workout commitments. 

The one thing I always tell my members is, “Coming to the gym is like going to church, you never really wanna get up, get dressed and go — but you are always glad you did!” 


Learn more about what the Irving Park YMCA has to offer through our Hub Offerings webpage. There, you’ll find our most up-to-date group fitness schedule, registration links for fitness classes, and more information on multi-class programs.