Classes at the SRC

This year I made the decision that I was going to start being more active. I use the word active because I’m not trying to lose weight or really involve myself in anything that will make me sweat out my hairstyle; my only goal was to get off the couch and maybe raise my heartrate a few beats. When checking my statement for UCR, I went into my usual rage/rant about how it wasn’t fair that UCR makes me pay for a gym I never step foot in. That’s when I decided that, for the first time in 2 years, I was going to go to the gym, and not just to visit the vending machines!

The moment I realized I agreed to do an article about the SRC.

(Editor’s Note: Too bad. IT’S GOOD FOR YOU)

Since weightlifting to me is comparable to death, that was out. Treadmills and bicycles are okay, but I’d rather do something where I don’t feel like my pet hamsters. With the help of a few of my friends and the pressure of an assignment for Health Psychology, I decided to start attending the fitness classes that are free to any registered student. Classes vary in intensity and are spread out throughout the day, some starting as early as 6:30 AM. We all pay for a gym membership as part of our quarterly fees, so make sure to stop by the recreation center at least once. There’s something for everyone, even the less athletic ones.

Yoga

Source.

This class is not your mother’s yoga, or at least the session I attended wasn’t. The 6:30 AM yoga class on MWF felt more like the Cardio Kickboxing class I attended, but more on that later. I took yoga in high school, so when I decided to crawl out of bed for this class I expected to do a few downward facing dogs, sun salutations then end the class with some meditation and relaxation exercises. Boy was I wrong! The instructor had us moving around the whole class, sweating before the sun was up and finally towards the end we got to visualize a beach for the last five minutes. I’m not sure about everyone else, but I was imagining a world where I could skip my 8 AM lecture to recover from this “relaxing” yoga session. Maybe it was just the instructor or maybe it was the fact that anyone who wakes up before 7 to exercise is physically amazing, but the 6:30 AM yoga class kicked my butt…in a good way.

Zumba

Pretty much sums up my dancing abilities.

I didn’t want to go to Zumba, I never want to go to Zumba. I am totally against organized dancing, especially in public. I much rather grab my iPod with my secret playlist and dance like it’s 2004 and my crush has asked me to the winter dance. Yet I went, I danced, and I never went back. Zumba is a great class for anyone who likes to dance and loves a good workout. I am not one of those people. While it did what it was supposed to, it just wasn’t my scene. This class filled up quickly because of its popularity, so make sure to arrive early. Aside from my bad attitude, it was really fun and the instructor incorporated moves that anyone could do, even a klutz like me.

Cardio Kickboxing

Source.

I went to this class with more excitement than the other two combined. First, it is run at a perfect time, 5:30 PM. Second, it merges jumping around like a little kid with punching and kicking techniques. Finally, the instructor that teaches the session I went to has the best workout playlist I have ever heard. Who doesn’t want to practice their punching technique while yelling/singing along to “Since U Been Gone?” The first 35 minutes are spent jumping, kicking and punching. The last 10 minutes are left to work on abs and in my case lie on the floor exhausted. This class is definitely my favorite at the Student Rec Center and is offered four days out of the week.

-Rubi