Fitness resources to help students add variety to their workout – The Elm – Washington College Elm
The Student Newspaper of Washington College since 1930
By Heather Fabritze
Elm Staff Writer
The Benjamin A. Johnson Fitness Center resumed its weekly group classes for the spring semester on Monday, Jan. 31.
The current schedule includes group fitness classes run by Washington College Campus Recreation and dance classes sponsored by the Dance Club. All sessions run during the school week.
Group fitness classes for the spring include Zumba on Mondays, weightlifting yoga nidra on Tuesdays, body weight fitness and beginner yoga on Wednesdays, high fitness on Thursdays, and regular yoga on Friday. All classes are held in the JFC Dance Studio with the exception of weightlifting, which is held in the JFC Field House. Most classes are intended for amateurs or beginners.
The current schedule can be found via emails sent by Campus Recreation.
Each class lasts an hour. According to Coordinator of Campus Recreation Evan Clayton, they are designed to get students “active” in ways other than gym machines or sports.
Classes like Zumba and high fitness ensure that students are moving, with music to keep energy high during workouts. Weight training teaches good methods for staying active without equipment, and weightlifting teaches students how to use the gym equipment safely. According to the Cleveland Health Clinic, the goal of yoga nidra is to move into a state of deep “relaxation” and “conscious awareness sleep.”
The classes are purposefully scheduled at different times of the day so students can attend more than one class depending on their schedule.
Clayton feels that the group fitness classes are an easy method for students to stay fit on a schedule if they are not an athlete.
“I recommend the group fitness classes to all students as a great way to stay active and meet new people,” Clayton said. “It’s easier to stay consistent with exercise if it’s a scheduled class that happens the whole semester.”
For those who are interested in alternative types of exercise, the Dance Club also has a variety of courses for students to try. Classes include Kathak classical Indian dance and the option for open studio time on Mondays, beginner ballet and contemporary dance on Wednesdays, lyrical dance and musical theater on Thursdays, and advanced ballet on Fridays.
The Dance Club class schedule can be found via email or on the @wacdanceclub Instagram.
Most of the dance classes last an hour. Some classes allow students the opportunity to practice for the Dance Club’s spring concert, which is scheduled for April 22 and 23, but there is no requirement to perform.
Junior Paleena Amy, president of the Dance Club, recommends their offered classes as a source of “therapy” and “self-expression,” although there can be other benefits for student athletes and theater majors.
“Last semester we had a student athlete take beginner ballet weekly because he wanted to improve his flexibility, coordination, and agility,” Amy said. “For those interested in theater, it’s an amazing skill to have in your repertoire.”
Another benefit to the dance classes is that unless one intends to perform in the concert, there is no requirement to come back. The classes can be attended at one’s own leisure.
“The first week or two of practice is just for getting a feel if you want to continue this throughout the semester,” Amy said. “We’re a judgment free zone. Our goal is to just spread the art of dance and guide those that want to join the community.”
If any student is unsure about joining a class, Campus Recreation offers other options to stay active this semester. The Intramural Sports volleyball league began on Monday, Feb. 7 and IM basketball is approaching soon. There are also student run clubs for sports, as well as walking and biking trails around campus.
For those who want to simply run on the treadmill or use various gym equipment, the JFC is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.
Photo by Olivia Dorsey
Featured Photo Caption: The Benjamin A. Johnson Fitness Center remains open throughout the whole week so any student wishing to put some time in at the gym, and hop on the bicycle machine or lift some weights has the opportunity to do so.
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