Student fitness class instructors for the University of Minnesota’s Recreation and Wellness center help themselves, students and the community enjoy the benefits of fitness through group classes.
The RecWell offers a multitude of classes for everyone of all levels and abilities to enjoy.
To participate in the classes throughout the semester, people must purchase a FitPass through the RecWell website. FitPasses are available for classes in the fall, spring and summer semesters, and a new pass must be bought for each semester.
Group fitness instructor and medical school student Sarah Larson has been teaching group fitness classes at the RecWell since she was an undergraduate at the University.
Larson was certified to teach body pump classes when she was 16. Body pump combines music and fitness together through high repetition, low weight, choreographed routines and is designed to build strength at light weights.
“I was still in high school, so I started teaching at a box gym called Experience Fitness,” Larson said. “Then when I knew I was going to go to the U, I reached out to the group fitness coordinator and made sure I could start teaching as soon as I started.”
Larson said body pump is different because it is focused on light weights and higher reps, and is a fun way to mix up the training and bring people together.
Each fitness instructor for the RecWell must be certified for the specific class they plan on teaching and CPR certified before their first class, RecWell Fitness Coordinator Alena Flowers said.
For programs like cycling, which is one of the most popular classes at the RecWell, there is a more extensive process to become certified as a group fitness instructor.
Although the actual training for cycling is just one day, new cycling instructors each have mentors for the first couple months they are hired at the RecWell, Flowers said.
“So there’s a month or two where they get to practice with their mentor, they get to shadow and teach classes, and then once they are ready, then they are able to then teach their own class,” Flowers said.
Because it is so popular with students and community members, Flowers said the cycling instructors have created their own small community.
According to Flowers, being a RecWell group fitness instructor is a passion job and is flexible for students with other commitments.
Flowers said she tries to give the opportunity to teach when it works for students’ schedules so they do not feel overwhelmed during the semester.
“New instructors are a lot of times like, ‘I want to teach every single day,’ and I’m like, ‘Great, but let’s start out with one class this first semester,’” Flowers said. “A lot of times you have your school schedule, your work schedule, volunteering, and you kind of forget and just kind of get overwhelmed with it in the beginning.”
Since working at the RecWell, Flowers said she has loved watching young people and students enjoy fitness classes.
“It’s just so amazing to watch young students and young people come in to find their passion in group fitness,” Flowers said. “Then develop them into the leaders that they are, once they are leading a class every single week.”