Wellness Center revises schedule

The University of South Dakota Wellness Center is on a mission to help students sweat, stretch and dance their way to better health and fitness with an assortment of new group fitness classes this semester.

The Wellness Center is offering Les Mills Bodypump, Yoga Inc., Kick & Punch and Zumba Gold for the first time this fall. Wellness Center staff tries to offer new classes each semester.

“We always look at new fitness trends and then we work on getting myself and other staff certified,” said Wendy Johnson, assistant director of the Wellness Center for fitness and aquatics. “Three of us just got Bodypump certified, so we can teach that class now.”

Johnson said she also looks at participation numbers for each class along with the names of the classes, the content and the time of day that each class is held at when deciding if current classes will be held again the following semester.

Currently, the most popular group fitness classes offered are Zumba, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), yoga, Kettle Bell, Aqua Aerobics, Total Body Conditioning and cycling.

The classes also draw in more than just the college-age crowd.

“Zumba is predominantly college students, but the new Zumba Gold class caters to an older crowd,” Johnson said. “Our morning classes are mainly community members, and the evening is mainly college kids, but our noon-hour classes are mixed. It’s nice to see that mix because the community members and college kids really encourage each other.”

Johnson said the group setting provides more benefits than just encouragement.

“It provides structure and motivation and that group effect,” she said. “If you get hooked, it drives you to come back and someone in that class is going to hold you accountable. The average person will push harder because they’re in a group.”

Another benefit of the Wellness Center’s class offerings is that there’s a wide variety to choose from, Johnson said.

“You can come to classes and get both strength and stretching,” she said. “If you want to get healthy and make a comprehensive fitness program out of just classes, you can. Plus, the classes are free. Some universities make you pay to take classes.”

Rachel Preheim, a second year law student, started working at the front desk of the DakotaDome fitness area five years ago and always went to the fitness classes.

“I fell in love with the group setting and I started subbing,” Preheim said. “Eventually, I started getting certifications to teach. It’s fun to motivate your classes and see their growth even over just a semester.”

Preheim currently teaches cycling, HIIT, Total Body Conditioning and Kettle Bell.

“My favorite class to teach is Kettle Bell because it’s the first class I got a specialty in, so it’s the class I’ve been teaching the longest,” Preheim said. “It’s a combination of weight and cardio, so it’s something different.”

Sophomore Brianna Williamson has taken the Wellness Center’s Zumba, Hot Yoga, Meditation and Pilates.

“I take classes at the Wellness Center, because I like doing group activities and because it makes working out more fun,” Williamson said. “Working out is better in a group setting.”

Johnson has already started looking ahead to the spring semester.

“Bodypump will still be new for us at that point, so now I’m looking at different ways to fuse classes, like Cycle & Stretch or Kick & Sculpt,” Johnson said.

The Wellness Center will also be bringing back its Biggest Loser competition in the spring, and will put on a Weight Training 101 class that will break down how to use each piece of equipment.

“We’ll give you the tools you need to build your own weight-training program, if you want,” Johnson said.

There will also be several boot camps, monthly wellness education and a fitness training weekend next semester.

This Friday, the Wellness Center will host its Big Pink Volleyball Tournament, with all proceeds going to Susan G. Komen. Registration costs $5 per person. To register as a team or as an individual, call the Wellness Center. Individuals without teams will be placed on teams.

This weekend is also the Wellness Center’s free weekend, so students are invited to bring friends or family who are not current students to work out or attend group fitness classes.