February is Heart Month, and Orangetheory Fitness Midtown Tulsa is raising money for the American Heart Association in a unique way—by letting members put their trainers through a grueling workout.

Building a Stronger Heart

Rachel Swepston, head trainer at Orangetheory Fitness Midtown Tulsa, emphasizes the importance of heart health and exercise.

“Oftentimes we forget that the heart is a muscle and arguably the most important muscle in the body,” Swepston said. “Regular physical activity really just strengthens your heart. It can lower blood pressure, helps keep cortisol in check, stress hormones, and really just lowers your risk for cardiovascular disease.”

How ‘Torture the Trainer’ Works

Throughout February, members can donate to the American Heart Association and, in return, assign burpees, rowing meters, or miles on the treadmill to their trainers.

“We collect donations for the American Heart Association all month long,” Swepston said. “But we like to make it a little bit more fun for the members. So their donations, they also get to purchase burpees, meters on the rowing machine, and miles on the treads.”

Last year, Swepston completed 318 burpees as part of the fundraiser.

What is Orangetheory?

Orangetheory offers a full-body workout that combines strength training and cardio while monitoring heart rate levels.

“We like to say in the Orangetheory Nation that they are the multivitamin of workout classes,” Swepston said. “Not only are you getting your cardiovascular work, you get your strength training as well, but I think what really sets us apart is that focus on the heart rate-based interval training.”

Getting Involved

In addition to the ‘Torture the Trainer’ event, Orangetheory Midtown Tulsa is hosting a 90-minute donation workout and a Galentine’s Day event to promote heart health awareness.

First-time visitors can attend their first class for free by calling, texting, or scheduling online.

“Everybody’s in there doing the same class, but everyone’s working out their own intensity based on their heart rate,” Swepston said.