Mackenzie Hurlbert – Copy Editor –
Students left the Adanti Student Center Ballroom relaxed, de-stressed, and calm after taking advantage of the free Yoga Red event offered by the Fitness Center. The event was held last Monday, Feb. 4, and included a meditation session along with a directed yoga class.
Kaylah Gillian, a freshman nursing student usually takes the yoga classes offered on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Fitness Center, but joined the crowd today in a much roomier setting.
“It was good,” said Gillian. “I enjoyed it. I think it’s good,” said Gillian about the Fitness Center offering free classes to the student body. “It gives everybody the chance to do something without paying the $60 and going through the whole process. Having classes like these allows everybody to get some type of fitness.”
“February is National Heart Health month, and every Fall we always do Breast cancer awareness events,” said Alex Gil, graduate intern for the Fitness Center. “We do Zumba and Yoga. We decided that yoga was really successful this past fall, we had like 30 people attend, so we decided to do another yoga event.”
While in October, the program was directed towards spreading awareness of breast cancer, the Yoga Red event supported the awareness of heart health.
“We’re just doing it for awareness for heart health and so people can relax and stay healthy by doing yoga,” said Gil. “We asked that the participants wore red and donate one dollar, they didn’t have to donate a dollar, but we got a couple.” Proceeds went to the American Heart Association.
Gil said they had about 15 to 20 participants for Yoga Red. “We have at least sixteen because all the mats are full, but probably closer to twenty,” said Gil. “I think because it was earlier in the evening, it was harder for people to come, but we still had a good group of people. For Zumba Red we usually have at least 30 people.”
“This is the first annual Yoga Red and it is going to be the fourth annual Zumba Red next Monday at 7:45 p.m.,” she said.
Gillian recently started taking yoga classes, and she said she really enjoys it. “It’s just fun, and it’s hard. You wouldn’t think yoga was hard but when I first got into it, I was like “Oh my gosh,” said Gillian. “This is hard but I just wanted to get used to it and make sure I could actually so the program. I like it.”
The class was taught by one of the yoga instructors from the Fitness Center, so it gave students the chance to see what an actual group fitness class would be like. “Lyn is teaching the yoga class right now,” said Gil. “She teaches our yoga class twice a week in the fitness center at 5p.m., so we just moved her fitness class up here for tonight.”
The Fitness Center tries to find convenient times for their fitness classes so they don’t conflict with their members’ schedules.
“That’s the great thing about our group exercise classes,” said Gil. “We really work on making it so that the group exercise classes work for our students, work for the members that are coming, and we have the new group free-class pass that is like the seven day pass but only for one free group exercise class.”
The Fitness Center offers free classes for the student body to promote fitness and exercise.
“I think it’s great and I think we need to do more of it,” said Gil, referring to the free fitness classes. “I think that the whole student body needs to be more into it and more clubs and organizations need to do bigger events like this. I wish there were more dances, more exercise classes and programs on campus just to keep students active.”
Physical activity isn’t just about getting in shape. There are many other benefits to working out.
“Stress relief is a huge part of it I think,” said Gil when describing the importance of staying active in college.
“And I think that it engages students to be more involved. It’s medically proven that if you’re physically active it’s going to help you with your academics,” said Gil, “it’s going to help you stay focused, it’s going to help you get a better night’s sleep, and it’s going to add to your wellness. It’s going to have you view college in a more holistic experience.”
