campus rec

POV: You’re Trying to be Outdoorsy After Sitting Inside for a Year

Holly at Healthy HeelsLeave a comment

Carolina Adventure Chronicles | Part One: SUP, Supper, & Sunset 

I’m nearing the end of my time at Carolina, and as such, I have made it my personal mission to do and experience everything that UNC has to offer. This means saying “yes” to more invitations and jumping on all the events and opportunities I passed on in prior years. 

After spending nearly 18 months cooped up inside my house, I felt particularly drawn to Campus Rec’s outdoor expedition programs through Carolina Adventures. These expeditions transport students to scenic locations around North Carolina and surrounding states to do activities like backpacking, climbing, and kayaking. I was lucky enough to attend the most recent trip and the first trip held since March 2020: SUP, Supper, & Sunset.

First things first, SUP is an abbreviation for Stand-Up Paddleboard. It’s like a surfboard, but larger, more buoyant, and generally more stable in waves. In other words, it’s one of these:

I grew up by the ocean, so water sports were definitely up there on the list of things I’d missed since coming to UNC. I’d only been paddle boarding a handful of times before, and while I’m generally more of a kayak person, any excuse to get out on the water sounded like a good time to me.

Details & Departure

A few days before the trip, I received an email with loads of details about what to expect, what to bring, and where to meet. I appreciated how clear and communicative the Carolina Adventures staff was, and they seemed more than happy to answer any questions I had. 

The suggested items to bring were pretty standard: mask, bathing suit, water shoes, towel, water bottle, and snacks. The actual paddleboarding would take place Saturday evening on Jordan Lake (about 30 minutes south of campus), but we were set to depart from the Carolina Outdoor Education Center (OEC). 

FYI: the OEC is a hidden gem, and if you haven’t been yet, you’re missing out! It’s only a 10-20 minute walk from campus and has hiking trails, a disc golf course, tennis and sand volleyball courts, a climbing wall, and even a ropes course with ziplines!

Ropes Course at the Outdoor Education Center (OEC)

I arrived at the OEC around 5:00 PM on Saturday. The sun was just beginning to sink in the sky, but the heat from the day still lingered. I couldn’t wait to get in the water. 

I walked down one of the steepest hills I’d ever seen and sat at a wooden picnic table overlooking some tennis courts. There, I met one of the trip leaders. To my surprise, she was the same year and major as me. It turns out that a lot of the employees at the OEC are undergraduate students, which made the experience feel all the more casual. 

The “Meeting Spot” next to the tennis courts

As more students began to filter in, our trip leader gave us some medical forms to fill out and water bottles to take with us on the trip. Once everyone had gathered — 10 students in total — we began introductions. The group was a mix of undergrad and grad students of all skill levels. Several people had never touched a paddleboard before; one person used to work as a paddleboard instructor. One thing I liked was that there was never any sense of judgment or expectation that you should know what you’re doing. We were all students, and at the end of the day, we were there to learn.

Another thing the Carolina Adventures staff encouraged was the idea of “Challenge by Choice”. We all have a comfort zone. There are activities and situations that fit within our comfort zone, those that push the boundaries of our comfort zone, and those that far exceed our comfort zone. Where these boundaries begin and end is highly variable and up to the individual to determine. “Challenge by Choice” means choosing to take steps outside your comfort zone at your own pace and by your own motivation. Doing so provides opportunities for growth and personal achievement.

Challenge by Choice Chart

We played a few icebreaker games as the trip leaders loaded the trailer. Then, we packed into the van and began driving to Jordan Lake — paddleboards in tow. 

FYI: Jordan Lake is huge — 14,000-acres huge! This reservoir is surrounded by numerous access points with over 1,000 campsites, 14 miles of hiking trails, boat launches, beaches, and swimming areas!

Paddleboard Prep & Pizza

Thirty minutes on the road felt more like 10, as I had some fun conversations with my fellow paddleboarders. The excitement emanating from everyone on the bus was palpable. 

Once we arrived at the Farrington Point boat launch at Jordan Lake, we filed out of the van and began to help the trip leaders prep the paddleboards. We untied the boards from the trailer and hoisted them down onto the ground. The trip leaders pumped air into them, and a few of the students volunteered to help secure the fins and ankle straps.

Paddleboard set up at the boat launch

The intense heat from earlier in the day had abated, and the air felt pleasantly warm. We gathered in a circle under the tree canopy for the “supper” portion of the evening. The trip leaders unveiled two of THE LARGEST PIZZAS I had ever seen from none other than Benny Capella’s. Each slice was bigger than my head. It took two people to carry one box. If you’ve ever wondered what a 28” pizza looks like, let me put it into perspective for you:

A pizza fit for a king

After we finished up dinner, the trip leaders ran through some safety instructions and suited us up with paddles and personal flotation devices (PFDs, formerly known as life jackets). Then, we were ready to go.

Smooth Sailing & Sunset

The boards proved to be a bit cumbersome to carry, but the walk to the water’s edge was only about 25 yards. I slid the nose of my board into the water, attached my ankle strap, waded out a few feet, hopped on the board, and pushed off of the sandy bottom with my paddle. 

My first “Challenge by Choice” was standing up. I set my paddle down on the board, placed my feet shoulder-width apart in the middle of the board to give myself more stability, and stood up. For a few moments, I was sure I would go flying into the water. I wobbled and teetered and tottered until I found my center of balance and came to a rest. 

The group waited for everyone to get situated on their boards before paddling east toward a bridge. We chatted amongst ourselves as white egrets flew overhead and blue herons stood stoically by the shoreline. 

We crossed under the bridge, and the lake opened up into another expansive section with an island at the center. We paddled past the island, gliding through gentle waves as the setting sun softened the sky to a pastel blue.

Posing on the water

We paused at an outcropping of trees and several of the students (myself included) jumped into the water for a swim. The water was surprisingly warm — even warmer than the air at that point. After splashing around for a while, someone in the group challenged all of us to a race. Call it my second “Challenge by Choice” of the day. 

We lined up. I lowered my stance on my paddleboard to increase my balance. At the word “Go!”, I surged forward, furiously paddling with two strokes on each side of my board. I charged ahead, and with no predetermined finish line in sight, I paddled until my arms begged me to stop. Behind me, I heard boisterous cheering and the occasional splash as someone from the group lost their balance and fell headlong into the water. 

The group started back toward the shore just as the eastern sky turned a milky lavender color. The full moon, a vibrant pink and the largest I had ever seen, was just peeking above the trees on the horizon. I stared in awe and tried to follow the barely perceptible track of its upward movement. By the time we rounded the corner at the bridge, the moon had fully revealed itself from behind the horizon. It cast a wavering spotlight on the lake water down below. The western half of the sky was an artwork all its own. The sun, brushing up against the treeline, set the sky ablaze with color. The surface of the water was illuminated in a brilliant golden glow, while everything to my front was silhouetted black against it. 

Sunset over Jordan Lake

We reached the shore just as night fell and packed up the paddleboards. Before heading out, we did some reflecting on our experiences: the roses, the buds, and the thorns. The most common roses were the scenery, meeting new people, and learning something new. The most common thorn was the bugs (note to self: pack bug spray). We returned to the Outdoor Education Center around 9:30 PM and said our goodbyes. 

Truthfully, I had an amazing time on this trip, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone at UNC. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I signed up for several more trips this semester (Carolina Aventures series???). 

Signing up was easy at https://stayactive.unc.edu/ under Programs > Expeditions. Spots on each trip are limited, so only sign up if you are certain you will be able to go. Trips vary in their level of intensity and typically happen on weekends, although some trips happen over extended breaks. For example, Carolina Compass is a 4-day backpacking and rockclimbing expedition exclusive to first-year students that takes place over fall break. Be sure to read the details of each trip thoroughly before deciding, and don’t hesitate to reach out to staff with questions. 

These trips can be a fun activity to do with friends, but don’t be afraid to sign up by yourself. In fact, most people on the SUP trip had signed up by themselves. If you’re looking to step outside of your comfort zone and make new connections, I really recommend it. The casual environment and common interest (being outdoors!) make it really easy to get to know people. 

The friends we made along the way

Exercise While Studying!

uncchsmediaLeave a comment

It’s exam time and that means hours and hours of sitting while staring at a book or computer screen. Taking short exercise breaks is a great way to refresh your mind and feel rejuvenated. Hopefully, you can still make it to the gym like usual. But if you feel trapped in your room or the study lounge, don’t hesitate to push out some of these moves!

For these moves, you don’t need any equipment – you can just use your bodyweight! You can tone from head to toe by just taking a few steps away from your desk.

ARMS: Dips, Push-Upsguy_pushup_down_position

LEGS: Wall Sit, Lunges; SquatS

ABS: 
Bicycle Crunch, Plank

 

Just remember, both gyms are operating have different hours during exam time. Click here for the schedule. Also, there are fewer group fitness classes then normal so check out those updated schedules as well! While you’re studying, don’t forget to eat healthy snacks for focus, take breaks here and there and stay hydrated (especially if you’re drinking a lot of caffeine!).

 

Workout Wednesday blog posts are written by UNC Campus Recreation. Each Wednesday we swap blog posts with the Tar Heel Tone Up blog so that readers can view more diverse post topics that will benefit their health and wellness. Workout Wednesday blog posts can be found both here and on tarheeltoneup.com.

Workout Wednesday: 5 Things to Bring to the Gym

uncchsmediaLeave a comment

What should you bring to the gym other than your sneakers and some clothes that you can break a sweat in?  To help make every workout successful and enjoyable, here are five items to bring along with you.

  1. Headphones – Nobody wants to hear Kanye West blasting through your headphones while you’re on the rowing machine.  But listening to music while your exercise is important – just do it at a volume that won’t make you half-deaf!  It’ll help get you through a tough workout and keep you from getting bored.  One of my favorite ways to workout is to push your hardest during each chorus and recover during the rest of the song.  By the time your favorite playlist is over, an hour will have already passed and it’ll be time to hit the shower.
  2. Water Bottle – Drinking water while you exercise is essential.  Of course, you need to hydrate before working out, but continue to do so while you’re sweating buckets.  This will keep your energy high and body fueled.  If you’re working out for more than an hour, consider filling your water bottle with a sports drink!
  3. Towel – This one is easy.  You don’t even have to remember to throw one into your bag.  You can check out a towel at the gym!  When you hand over your One Card to be swiped into the gym, ask for a towel.  Then simply return it when you leave – and be sure to have an employee swipe your card again or you might get charged!
  4. Smart Phone – Ignore the texts and Facebook notifications.  Click here to check out some the latest and greatest apps for your workout.  Your phone can be a great tool to keep you focused on your goals and to help you see results quicker!
  5. Snack – If you’re hitting up the gym between classes or have a meeting to go to after your sweat session, you may not have time to stop by your dorm and grab a bite to eat.  Post-workout nutrition is incredibly important!  Getting a combination of carbohydrates and protein (ideally a 3:1 ratio) will help your muscles recover and rebuild.  Pack a protein bar, a small turkey sandwich or some trail mix.  After you finish on the treadmill and head out the door to whatever your next appointment is, eat a little something.

If you’ve got all these items packed, you will be rockin’ your next workout at the gym.

Workout Wednesday blog posts are written by UNC Campus Recreation. Each Wednesday we swap blog posts with the Tar Heel Tone Up blog so that readers can view more diverse post topics that will benefit their health and wellness. Workout Wednesday blog posts can be found both here and on tarheeltoneup.com.

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Round 2 of Small Group Fitness Starts This Month with Campus Rec!

uncchsmediaLeave a comment

This post was written by Emily Wheeler and is published as a part of our blog exchange with Tar-Heel Tone Up.

 

As most students know by now, Campus Recreation offers over 85 group fitness classes at no cost to members every single week! Every semester, there are also two sessions of small group training programs that are offered at a low cost to members to allow them to get more personalized and targeted fitness training during various 6-week programs!

The second round of small group fitness classes are starting this month right after fall break, and registration is open this week! Here are more details about the small group fitness classes happening this semester, as well as quotes from current Boot Camp participants about their thoughts on the class!

TRX SUSPENSION TRAINING

The TRX suspension bands allow you to improve your muscular and core strength with varying levels of bodyweight exercises. The great thing about the TRX bands is that since you’re using your own bodyweight, you can change your level of resistance easily to suit your abilities! No experience is required – the certified fitness instructors will teach you everything you need to know about using the TRX bands! 

Cost: $55 (10 sessions)

Location: RHRC Court 1

Days/Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 6:15 – 7:15 am

Dates: 10/22/15 – 11/24/15

Registration: October 5 – October 20

Capacity: 8 (Space is limited)

BOOT CAMP

Boot camp features high intensity hour-long workouts that include sets of drills followed by short periods of rest to give you a fantastic cardiovascular workout! There are always modifications and varying levels of difficulty for each exercise so you can start where you are and work your way up to increasing your health, fitness, and endurance by the end of the class! I have personally participated in this class in the past and I always left feeling like I’d gotten such a great workout and I enjoyed being able to do drills that I had never thought of doing on my own before!

Cost: $30 (10 sessions)

Location: RHRC Court 1 & Outdoors

Days/Time: Mondays & Wednesdays @ 5:15 – 6:15 pm

Dates: 10/21/15 – 11/23/15

Registration: October 5 – October 20

 “Boot camp with Olivia is the highlight of my week. I love that [Campus Recreation] offers these small group classes because it truly allows me to get the most out of my workout as Olivia plans an intensive and comprehensive routine each class. I enjoy lifting weights, running around, and working on strengthening my core to the sounds of Michael Jackson and Beyoncé, and Olivia’s encouragement. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to get started on exercising!”

“I have been taking small group fitness classes since freshmen year and now, as a senior, I’m addicted! I love the one-on-one attention I receive from the amazing instructors that always push me to my limits. Not only is it a great workout, but you also get to make some really great friends while getting fit. Because of the people I’ve met through small group fitness training classes, I made connections in my field of interest and ultimately got a job! This is an amazing opportunity through UNC to get a great workout for a cheap price. I’m really going to miss it when I graduate!”      -Stephanie Katz

“I liked the class. There was a great variety of workout and my instructor always challenged us, while making us feel comfortable. She also took our suggestions for potential workouts.”

“I love this class because the instructor, Olivia Desend, is so supportive and encouraging. She pushes us all each class. There is a little something for everyone, whether you want cardio, strength, endurance, or flexibility training. I highly recommend this class. It really helps build confidence and social circles, too!”       -Hannah Newmann, First year student

“I really enjoyed Boot Camp! It was a great full body workout what was both intense and enjoyable. Olivia was/is awesome! She was extremely knowledgeable, inclusive, and pushes us to do our best. I would highly recommend Boot Camp for people of all fitness levels!”      -Rebecca Messenger

As you can see, these small group training programs are an excellent opportunity offered by Campus Recreation. When I was in the Boot Camp class, there were full-time university employees taking the class as well and we always had a lot of fun encouraging each other. The classes really are for people of all ages and fitness levels who are looking to have fun, meet new people, and improve their health by taking care of their bodies through exercise.

To learn more about small group training programs, click here or visit the Campus Recreation main office, located in SRC 101, to register for the classes and get your questions answered. (Convenience note: the main office accepts cash and OneCard expense money only!) Registration is open now and space is limited in both classes, so take advantage of this super fun opportunity and I guarantee you that you’ll be happy that you did!

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Don’t Let Shorter Days Negatively Affect Your Health

uncchsmedia1 Comment

This blog post is written by Emily Wheeler and is published as a part of our blog exchange with Tar Heel Tone-Up.

As you’ve surely already noticed, the days are becoming shorter as sunset creeps earlier and earlier into the day and darkness falls by 8pm. Sadly, gone are the long, bright days of summer and we are slowly entering the cooler days of North Carolina autumn where we’ll all be shivering in the mornings and evenings but sweating as we walk between classes mid-day.

It’s important to recognize that even something as natural as earlier sunsets can have dramatic effects on our physical and mental health. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a form of depression related to the changing of seasons, but seasonal changes can affect many people’s daily moods and activities whether or not these changes are drastic enough to warrant a diagnosis.

Sunset at Dyer Park Over Grassy Field Previously a Landfill

Image by Kim Seng of Flickr Creative Commons

A significant change that can come from shorter lengths of daylight is sleep deprivation for many students. We often don’t have the choice to simply adjust our schedules and go to sleep earlier when it gets dark earlier, which leads us to spend more time reliant on artificial light in the evenings. Bright artificial light inside, when it’s already dark outside, suppresses hormone production in the brain that helps to signal our natural cycle of sleepiness and wakefulness. This may contribute to a feeling of wakefulness at night that will keep you up too late and leave you tired in the morning (1).

Sleep deprivation can increase the stress responses of your body and cause harmful inflammation, especially in individuals with arthritis, and can affect your ability to think clearly and be successful on school assignments and tests (1).

While it’s not likely that any of us will be able to stay away from technology screens or artificial light entirely after dark, we can counter the effects on our sleep cycles by creating a nighttime pattern you can repeat daily as you’re getting ready to go to sleep, such as turning off all overhead lights and relying on lamplight for 20 minutes before bed, or making a habit of reading a paper book for a few minutes before bed to calm your brain and prevent you from reading on brightly lit screens.

Changes in daylight between now and December can also affect your physical health in other ways, especially because people tend to change their patterns of eating and exercise as the seasons change. As the days shorten and both sunrise and sunset are happening around 7 o’clock, many people leave for work or class when it’s still dark outside and return home in the evenings around sunset. This can make it hard to be motivated to exercise after dark, and overeating can become a problem when we spend more time at home per day with easy access to food and snacks. Many people also crave richer “comfort foods” in the fall and winter and tend to eat greater quantities of food with less nutritional value around the time of the various winter holidays.

A combination of all of these factors, colder weather, and dark evenings can make even the healthiest and most active individuals more prone to increased couch potato time.

These issues can be countered by small but conscious daily choices and changes, including:

  • Using online exercise videos as guidance and motivation to work out at home instead of convincing yourself to bundle up face the cold again to go out to the gym.
  • Committing to exercise at a specific time every day, preferably in the morning before you leave the house or soon after you get home or get off of work to avoid becoming too comfortable and tired to motivate yourself to work out after you’ve already sat down and eaten dinner.
  • Reducing or eliminating the presence of super salty or sugary snacks sitting around the house, just waiting to be munched on as soon as you get the craving.
  • Allotting time to plan meals and snacks and make a grocery list every week before you go to the store to prevent you from buying unhealthy foods and snacks on a whim and to encourage more conscious food choices and balanced meals throughout the week.

Daylight savings happens on November 2 this year, but we can continue to expect earlier sunsets between now and the winter solstice on December 21. By being aware of how seasonal changes can affect our personal mental and physical well being, we can be prepared with purposeful lifestyle changes and habits to ensure that we stay happy, healthy, and successful in school with every passing day!

Works Cited:

  1. Kelly, Martta. Shorter days can affect physical health as well as mental health. Oct 30, 2014. http://www.nj.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2014/10/sleep_issues_depression_can_become_health_issues

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: This is Why I Came to Love Yoga

uncchsmediaLeave a comment

This post was written by Emily Wheeler and is published as part of our blog exchange with Tar Heel Tone Up.

I fell in love with yoga two years ago when I attended my first yoga class on campus as a group fitness class through campus rec. The instructor had an obvious love for yoga, but also for teaching in general, which was fitting because she was an education major. I admit that I always imagined yoga classes as a place for meditative “hippie-types” who were disgusted by meat and loved to say “owmmm.” What I discovered instead is that yoga is powerful in a way that you never understand until one day, you allow yourself to let go of all of your notions, assumptions, and judgments about yoga and just let yourself sink into it with the real intention of discovering what it has to offer you. (I also learned that sometimes you can do yoga to hip hop/pop music if you’re just not in a very mellow mood that day.)

In yoga, I find that the amount of focus that it requires for me to think about my breath and the many sensations happening in my muscles allows me to let go of thinking about anything else. No matter how stressed I am or how caught up in the expectations of life I become, I can come back to remembering what really matters within an hour with yoga. Although it might sound strange, for me and many others, yoga is just as much a mental or spiritual experience as it is physical—it offers me the opportunity to step out of the world by reverting into my own body and my own mind. Yoga reminds me to be the best that I can be, to appreciate life and my body, and to do the things that make me happy.

Many thanks for the images from Franklin Street Yoga Center!

I love that in a matter of months, doing yoga regularly drastically improved my strength and balance in a way that is still kind to my body. So often, other forms of exercise feel like they’re beating my body up and leave me with sore knees and aching muscles for days. Yoga, while it still leaves my upper body sore sometimes, feels much more gentle to my joints and muscles.

Yoga is also a type of exercise that I can do at any time of day: it’s a great way to start off my morning or I can do it late at night without worrying about needing time to calm down before I can sleep. I like to attend classes or use online videos because I like the guidance of an instructor talking in the background the entire time. At the very end of every yoga class I’ve ever attended, you end in savasana, also called “corpse pose” or “final resting pose.” In this position, you are laying flat on your back as you try to progressively relax every muscle in your body to find total release. It is always amazing to me how much tension I hold in all of my muscles without realizing it until I actively focus on relaxing them. I even notice a lot of tension in my face as I try to relax (which could explain why sometimes people think I’m angry when I’m really just focused on something.)

11987063_10153157042590669_2828191633936979528_n

I love yoga because after an hour of intentionally focusing on my breathing and movement, I can melt into the floor in savasana and it feels like pure peace. No matter how frustrating my day has been or how exhausted I am, I can let all of that tension go for a few minutes and finally feel like me again. It’s a feeling of such relaxation and relief that I can’t even put it into words, but it makes the entire class or video worth it, even after I was tempted to quit multiple times within a single hour. If you’ve never tried yoga, all of these descriptions may sound nearly comical, but if you try it with an open mind one day, you may discover, as I did, that yoga isn’t what you expected at all.

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Group Fitness with Campus Recreation – Absolution

uncchsmediaLeave a comment

This blog post was written by Emily Wheeler and is published as part of our blog exchange with Tar Heel Tone-Up.

Since the year is new, we’re going back to the basics and introducing some of the opportunities offered by Campus Recreation. We know we’ve written about them before, but we also know that they get buried in the archives of articles every year, so we want to make sure everyone gets a chance to learn about opportunities and get involved!

One of the coolest things that Campus Rec has to offer students is a huge variety of FREE group fitness classes every week! These classes are taught by trained fitness instructors who are students, just like you. They take place in the fitness studios in Ram’s Head Recreation Center and the Student Recreation Center, as well as select classes in Woolen gym and Bowman Gray pool.

Cute Couple - Fitness Instructor and Weightlifter
Photo: “Cute Couple – Fitness Instructor and Weightlifter” by DigiNik13, Flickr Creative Commons.

Course offerings include:

  • Pilates
  • Cycle
  • Step
  • Barre
  • Absolution
  • Zumba
  • Cardio Blast
  • Lower Body Conditioning
  • Yoga
  • Muscle Cut Barbells
  • Kick’n Sculpt
  • Muscle Cut
  • Upper Body Conditioning
  • Tai Chi
  • H2O Dance
  • Mindful Yoga
  • KickHIIT (HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training)
  • Power Yoga
  • Cardio Dance
  • Kickboxing
  • 3-2-1
  • Water Aerobics

As you can see, there are a ton of options available, so you can choose what interests you! Some classes have varying levels of difficulty: for example, power yoga is more difficult than mindful yoga, and Cycle classes and Kick’n Sculpt are extremely heavy on the cardio intensity. However, all classes are open to people of all levels of fitness. You are not required to complete every move or exercise and there are always modifications to make each exercise easier or more difficult.

I’ll feature some brief reviews of various classes in coming articles as the semester gets off to a fast start! For starters, I’ll review the shortest, but quite possibly the most intense, class we offer: Absolution.

Absolution:

This class might only last for 15-20 minutes, but your core will be absolutely on fire the entire time! The exercises are organized by songs; for example, for the first song, the focus might be on plank exercises. For the second, it might be on different types of crunches. The plank song always gets to me! You stay up in plank position for the entire 4 minutes of the song and do variations such as “thread the needle,” side plank, and hip dips side to side. I really like planks because they work your entire core, which includes your oblique (sides) and back muscles!

When we say “core muscles,” we often just think of our stomachs and abs, but a strong core is supported both by strong abdominal and back muscles to support proper posture. I always think it’s crazy to consider that the gap in your skeleton between your rib cage and your hip bones consists only of your spine, yet this part of our bodies is comprised of so many important organs and we rely on a strong canister of muscle to hold it all together and upright. The human body is incredible, people… treat yours nicely.

They love to use this one movement where you’re balancing on your bum with your feet and torso up off of the ground and you pulse your hands up and down beside your knees. This one has me shaking in a matter of seconds and one song of the class makes sure to include that movement in the sequence at least 6 times. The last song is almost always dedicated to the back muscles, so we all flop over on our stomachs like the limp fish we resemble and do “Superman” raises until the song, and the class, mercifully ends with a collective exhale accompanied by a flop of exhausted limbs hitting the gym floor.

If you don’t believe me, check out Absolution at any of these times to experience the burn for yourself!

Monday:

1:05 – 1:20 in Woolen B19

6:10 – 6:30 in SRC Studio A

Tuesday:

1:05 – 1:20 in SRC Studio B

6:25 – 6:45 in SRC Studio A

Wednesday:

6:10 – 6:30 in SRC Studio A

Thursday:

1:05 – 1:20 in SRC Studio B

6:25 – 6:45 in SRC Studio A

Saturday:

5:00 – 5:20 in SRC Studio B

This is an absolutely killer core workout and one of my favorite group fitness classes offered by Campus Rec! You will leave both exhausted and proud of your body! It also is short enough that you can conveniently combine it with your own cardio workout by running to the gym and back! Keep checking back for more group fitness reviews and information!

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: NEW! Fitness Passport with UNC Campus Recreation

uncchsmediaLeave a comment

by: Ben Smart

When you want to learn more about the world, you use your travel passport to experience new places. When you want to get a leg up on your fitness goals, you use your Fitness Passport!

Stop by the Student Rec Center front desk in SRC 101 to pick up your passport, free of charge, beginning March 16th. Complete the following six fitness challenges by April 24th to get a Campus Rec swag bag!

 

  • EVENT: Function Movement Screening
    -Visit the Functional Movement and Fitness Center (FMFC) in the SRC, where a fitness consultant will perform a functional movement screening for you. Find more info about the FMFC and screeningshere.
  • SOCIAL MEDIA: Like the Tar Heel Wellness Challenge and UNC Campus Rec on Facebook
    – The Tar Heel Wellness Challenge provides holistic health goals for UNC students, faculty and staff to reach every two weeks via Facebook.
    – Stay up to date with all Campus Rec has to offer and interact with us via Facebook!
  • EVENT: Try out our Weekend Warrior Series or Yoga Workshops
    -These series offer unique ways to further your fitness practices!
    -More information about these offerings can be found here.
  • SOCIAL MEDIA: Post a positive affirmation on social media using #UNCbodybeautiful
    – Accepting and loving your body for the things it can do for you is one of the first steps toward a happier and healthier life!
  • EVENT: Join the fun and take a group fitness class
    – Campus Rec offers over 80 classes, in a variety of formats, per week FOR FREE.
    – Check out the full schedule here and try something new now!
  • SOCIAL MEDIA: Bring your workout home with Training Time
    – Complete one of our Training Time series workouts on the Campus Rec YouTube channel.
    – Take a picture or video of your workout and post on Instagram with #UNCtrainingtime.

 

For each event challenge you complete, have the Fitness staff member at the event location stamp your passport card. For the social media challenges, show any Fitness staff member at any time your completed challenge to get your passport stamped. Fitness staff includes group fitness instructors, personal trainers, and FMFC fitness consultants. For FMFC hours during which you can connect with a consultant, click here.
Once you complete the full challenge, bring your stamped Fitness Passport to the Campus Rec Main Office (SRC 101) no later than April 24th to pick up your Campus Rec swag bag!
Spring break may be finished, but that’s no excuse to forget about your health and fitness. Take advantage of your Fitness Passport to jumpstart your spring fitness!