Many students go to the Student Recreation Center expecting to get a good workout in, but when they arrive, they aren’t really sure how. 

Going to the Rec Center can be nerve-wracking for some students; it’s perpetually crowded and seems to be full of people who actually know what they’re doing. Going downstairs seems to be unheard of by most girls because the guys down there have biceps bigger than the size of our heads. 

My friends and I found the solution to save ourselves from lifting-related embarrassment downstairs: skip it altogether and go to one of the Rec Center’s group exercise classes.
Campus Recreation offers group exercise classes in a motivational setting led by certified group fitness instructors. Campus Recreation currently offers up to 15 classes on weekday and four classes on Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings. The drop-in-style classes are either 30, 45 or 60 minutes in length. 

Rec members must purchase semester passes for $59, while non-members must pay $79. The pass allows participants to take an unlimited amount of classes throughout the semester without having to register prior to each class. One-class passes can also be purchased for $7.

Campus Recreation offers a wide variety of classes, ranging from Candlelight Yoga and Pilates to Butts ‘N Guts and Spin. Recently, I attended Spin ‘N Core, Total Body Blast and Power Yoga. 

Spin ‘N Core is a 45-minute class offered Monday and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The Rec Center’s fall 2015 group fitness schedule describes the class as “an energizing workout that blends cycling technique, breathing awareness and heart rate training into one.” 

This class was nice because it seemed to go by really fast, but it was still a solid workout. The class split about 30 minutes of cycling with 15 minutes of core and stretching. I went Tuesday when Shawna instructed. She made the class exciting with good music and frequent encouragement, along with a variety of cycling techniques, such as sitting hills, standing hills and intervals. 

I went to Total Body Blast, taught by Denise, on Friday at 12:10 p.m. Samantha also teaches this class on Monday at 12:10 p.m.. This 30-minute class was very high-intensity. To me, it felt like we fit 45 minutes worth of working out into one 30-minute class. It had short breaks and worked the entire body with cardio and strength moves, making it effective in a short period of time. 

Campus Recreation said Total Body Blast “incorporates weights, balls and BOSU [Balance Trainers] to blast calories, create lean muscle and shape your body.”
As someone who only has a short amount of time to work out between classes, TBB is the perfect class to energize my afternoon. 

I’ve tried out a few different yoga classes at the Rec Center, but haven’t found them to be the best. These classes better suit yoga newbies or yogis who prefer low-intensity, non-hot yoga. I have a favorite hot yoga studio in my hometown, so the Rec Center’s normal-temperature yoga classes didn’t really seem like a workout. I do, however, like going to yoga classes at the Rec Center if I’m sore and want to stretch, or just need to take some time to de-stress. The one that I go to most frequently is Power Yoga, which is offered Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. 

The Rec Center describes Power Yoga as a “dynamic and challenging yoga style. … Learn about the power of proper alignment, breathing and the benefits it can provide.”
Something I got out of Power Yoga was 45 minutes of relaxation to focus on my breathing patterns, while linking my breath to my body through a Vinyasa flow.

I would highly recommend taking advantage of the group exercise classes the Rec Center offers students. The sheer multitude of classes and times offered make it extremely easy to find at least one personal match. Intimidation really goes to the wind when a whole group of people support each other in their workouts.

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