Try It Once, a program for people who are nervous about trying a new activity, will be held for the first time on Jan. 20 at the Nikiski Pool.

Hosted by the Central Peninsula Change Club, in conjunction with the Cooperative Extension Service, Try It Once hopes to make people in the central peninsula area more active by offering one-off, beginner-level classes for a variety of activities.

The inaugural class, Lap Swimming for Fitness, is led by certified strength and conditioning specialist Angie Brennan, who will teach beginners how to design personal swim workouts as well as inform participants about pool etiquette.

The instructor will show participants who enjoy the class how to continue in other programs.

Linda Tannehill, an agent for the Cooperative Extension Service and member of the Central Peninsula Change Club, said that classes are for beginners, people needing a refresher, people who want to be with other beginners, or for those who aren’t sure if they want to make a large financial investment with a longer course.

“Our goal is to increase physical activity in the central peninsula area,” Tannehill said. “Not everybody wants to do master swim. That can be intense for some people.”

Tannehill said that with the lack of snow this winter, people who want to remain active will hopefully turn to other forms of physical activity.

“We’re thinking that maybe the swimming might be good timing for people to start thinking about ‘OK, I can’t do the skiing or snowshoeing that I usually do, so maybe I’ll try something else — until the snow comes,’” she said. “I’m optimistic. I’m all for being outdoors.”

Tannehill said the next Try It Once class will teach people about spinning.

“You can imagine the intimidation factor of going into a spinning class for the first time if all the participants have already been doing it for a year or six months,” she said.

The date and location of the spinning class have yet to be determined, but Tannehill said she would like to design a series of classes that cover a wide variety of activities.

While Tannehill hopes that Try It Once proves successful, it’s not without challenges.

“I think the biggest challenge is getting people over the fear of getting into a swimsuit,” Tannehill said. “It’s after the holidays.”

For more information, call the Cooperative Extension Service at 907-262-5824.

Reach Ian Foley at ian.foley@peninsulaclarion.com.