WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Campus Recreation Specialty and Group Fitness Programs

Author: Emily Wheeler

Even if you’re new, by now you’ve probably realized that Campus Rec has a lot more to offer than buildings with some gym equipment inside. However, we want to make sure that all campus rec members, whether new or quite seasoned, know about the opportunities available through the group and specialty fitness programs this semester!

Group Fitness

Group fitness programs are free to any student, staff, or employee with a current campus recreation membership, which includes all full-time undergraduate students automatically. They are taught by certified fitness instructors and fill on a first-come, first-served basis at the scheduled time of the class, which can be found here, on our website. All you have to do is pick the class that you want to attend and show up at the class location, which will be at the Student Recreation Center (SRC), Ram’s Head Recreation Center (RHRC), or occasionally at Bowman Gray pool about 10-15 minutes before the start time of the class to get a good spot and set up any necessary equipment. All exercise equipment will be provided for you during the classes; you just need to come dressed appropriately. For example, you’d want to wear tennis shoes to a Zumba class, but it wouldn’t matter what type of shoes you wore to a yoga class because you won’t be wearing shoes during the actual workout.

The classes last either 45 minutes or an hour long, with the exception of Absolution, which is an intense 20 minute class specifically focused on working out your abs the entire time! Twenty minutes sounds short until you try it and start to feel the burn during the warm-up… but up-beat music and an enthusiastic instructor will get you through it! Add the class to a short independent cardio workout and you’ve got a great combo of strength training and your cardio for the day all in one! Other group fitness class offerings include:

3-2-1, a combo of cardio, strength, and core interval training
Water aerobics—it’s for young people, too!
Cardio blast
Cycle classes (still free, but sign-up at the SRC required!)
Hip-hop dance
Kick’n sculpt
Step’n sculpt
Zumba
Z² (Zumba taught by not just 1, but 2 fabulous instructors!)
Absolution
Ballet sculpt
Lower body conditioning
Upper body conditioning
Muscle cut/ barbells (where you’ll learn great form with the weights!)
Pilates
Yoga (in a range of intensities)
Mindful yoga (more relaxed and meditative yoga)
Yogalates (= yoga + pilates)

To learn more about any of these classes, check out the more detailed descriptions and try one out this week! We’re also excited to announce three Cycle Cinema Sundays this semester, where you can sign up in advance for free and come on select Sundays from 5:30- 7:30pm to cycle with friends at your own pace as you enjoy a movie! There will also be two new weekend programs called the “Weekend Warrior Series” and “BOSU Blast!” The Weekend Warrior series will be a Saturday class that includes a high-intensity cycle portion at the beginning of the class and a relaxing and stretching yoga portion for the second half! BOSU Blast will improve balance, stability, core, cardio, and toning with the BOSU ball, which is basically like half of an exercise ball adhered to a base on the floor (perfect for jumping on)! Both of these series require prior sign-up at the SRC and you can get more information about them here!

Specialty Fitness

Specialty fitness classes are different because they require prior registration and a fee to participate. These classes have significantly smaller size limits and are therefore more personalized to each individual who signs up and participates, which can be extremely beneficial for participant learning and can make some people feel more comfortable in a smaller environment. Although they do require a small fee, each class still costs less than $6 per session (a great deal when compared to other specialty fitness programs in the area; yoga studios average $12/class in Chapel Hill) and each class meets for 10 sessions, or five weeks. This semester, the following specialty fitness classes are being offered:

Tar Heel Tabata: You’ll certainly improve your cardiovascular endurance in this class that uses high intensity interval training in a pattern of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off on repeat for 4 minutes per set! You’ll be exhausted and feel like you’ve gotten a fantastic workout in only 30 minutes!
TRX Suspension Training: The extra challenge of the TRX bands will add a whole new element to your workout and the extra small class size will be sure that you get the attention you need to do each exercise with the correct form! Try this class format for free to see if you’re interested on Thursday, September 4^th in Ram’s Head Rec. No registration is required and more specific information will be coming soon!

Boot Camp: Our fitness instructors take on the role of your coach in this hour- long athletic workout available in indoor and outdoor sessions. You’ll improve your cardiovascular fitness and increase your strength after just ten dedicated sessions to this program! Try it for free on Wednesday, September 3^rd before you buy!
Women on Weights: This class will teach you how to maintain impeccable form as you learn and practice various weight-lifting exercises in a fully-equipped weight room reserved only for your class and your instructor! You’ll be able to hit the SRC or Ram’s weight room without fear after completion of this course!

For more information about registration dates and prices of any of our specialty fitness programs, please check out our website! There you can also find information about personal training available to students and faculty at great prices through Campus Recreation!

Specialty and group fitness is a great way to not only work out, but to meet new people and socialize on campus as well. After having the opportunity to take two full specialty fitness courses, I still see and talk to people on campus that I met through the courses; we even end up beside each other at group fitness classes without planning it every now and then. The instructors and employees at Campus Rec really put a lot of effort into maintaining these programs for the health and enjoyment of all members on campus, and the spaces fill up quickly because they do such a good job! I encourage you to get more involved on campus and step out of your comfort zone to try something new with us at Campus Rec by signing up for a group fitness or specialty fitness class this semester. You’ll have a great time, meet new people, do great things for your personal health, and actively fight the harmful effects of stress that are so easily triggered by the pressure of our time in school. Your health is so important and the choices that you make on a daily basis have a HUGE lifetime impact, so don’t wait to make a great choice and join us at Ram’s Head Rec or the SRC this week!