Summer is over, but that doesn’t mean your beach body has to be. Getting a good workout during the school year is just as important, and this year the Rec Center is offering four new classes in their Fitwell program: Power Step, Cardio Combo, Cycle and Flow and Zumba. Similarly, popular classes like Ballet Fusion continue to be offered and improved.
a variety to choose from,” Assistant Director of Fitness and Wellness Jenny Ruehrmund said. “Cardio Combo, Power Step and Zumba are all a lot of fun and participants will get a great cardio workout.”
According to the American Council on Exercise, through which all the College of William and Mary’s fitness instructor’s are required to be certified, regular cardiovascular exercise has many health benefits including an improved cholesterol profile, lower blood pressure, increase in energy and stamina and prevention of weight gain.
One of the additions, Zumba, is a Latin music-based fitness class described as a “fitness party” by creator Beto Perez at Zumba.com. The Rec Center has been trying to establish the program for a year, but had trouble finding a certified instructor.
“Just the description of it sounds intriguing,” Justin Hoag ’09 said. Like other students at the College, he is excited the Rec Center is finally offering a class of this up and coming workout.
The word “Zumba” comes from a colloquial Colombian-Spanish word meaning “to move fast and have fun,” which is what participants did last Saturday during a free demo class at the Freshman Orientation program “Late Night at the Rec.”
“I am pumped for the classes at the Rec Center this year, especially the Zumba class,” Megan Hermida ’11 said. “Last week,
I took part in a Zumba trial class, and it was the most fun I’ve ever had in a fitness class. I’m definitely returning for it, and I encourage anyone who is a fan of the salsa, tango or just some hip action to join me.”
Another new class offered this semester is Cardio Combo, which will be taught by fitness instructor Nesli Monroe ’10. The class, unique to the Rec Center, features a combination of cardio such as step, kickboxing, high-low, intervals and drills.
“Cardio Combo will be a fun and exciting way to get a high-intensity workout,” Monroe said. “As we get more into the semester, the difficulty level of the class will progressively increase.”
The new Power Step class is a more advanced version of step, a high-intensity, basic footwork workout, with more fluid routines resulting from the integration of “Tapless Step.”
“I am really excited about our Power Step Class this semester,” Ruehrmund said. “This step class is a form of step called ‘Tapless’ which
