Some students are sweating more than just their summer classes at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
The Recreational Sports Department is hosting JagFitX fitness classes for the first time during the summer academic sessions. The classes available to faculty, staff and students are Yogafit, Strong by Zumba, Zumba, Mindful Yoga and Kettlebell AMPD.
Summer Session 2 fitness classes will begin July 15 and end Aug. 8. Session 1 classes were June 10-July 3. There is no cost to participate in the JagFitX fitness classes.
Rec Sports’ goal for A&M-San Antonio is to keep students informed and involved with their programs while making the fitness classes accessible and welcoming for students, faculty and staff.
Amber Graham, fitness and wellness coordinator for Rec Sports, has found participation during the summer is relatively similar to that of the 2019 spring semester.
“I’m really pumped that there has been so many students coming to the classes. … On average… for each of these classes, we will have anywhere from five to 10 people in each class,” Graham said.
Rec Sports offers fitness classes in the summer to give the campus community an outlet to relieve stress or work out, Graham said. The classes help to give students a sense of comfort and a judgment-free environment.
“Being in a comfortable environment, I think is the best way to get people to open up and talk about things,” Graham said. “My door is always open.”
Yogafit is offered 3-3:45 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in Room 134 of the Madla Building. Nadia Padron, a psychology junior, is the instructor.
“It is really awesome for people who are looking for a workout in yoga — or want to focus more on stretching a little bit,” Padron said. “I like to do core work so I put it in the power yoga.”
Justin Barrow, an information technology junior, participated in Yogafit June 24, making it his first yoga class at A&M-San Antonio.
“My favorite part, I guess, is learning new stretches and learning new exercise techniques,” Barrow said.
What he was not prepared for was the physical toll Yogafit was going to put on his body.
“I feel very sore; my abs still hurt from two days ago,” Barrow said.
Strong by Zumba, led by certified instructor Teresa De La Torre 5:30-6:15 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in Room 134 of the Madla Building, has participants use H.I.I.T. (high intensity, interval training) to get the most out of their time in the session.
The class combines body weight, muscle conditioning, cardio and plyometric training moves synced to original music specifically designed to match every move. Each exercise is driven by the music, helping participants make it to that last repetition, according to the university’s website.
Additionally, De La Torre is the instructor for Kettlebell AMPD 5:30-6:15 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday in Room 134 of the Madla Building. The class uses a kettlebell for most of their strength training exercises.
“Right now, there’s a lot of confusion about what it is to be ‘fit,’ and I feel like right now being fit has nothing to do with a size. It has a lot to do with how you feel inside, how healthy you are and how good you feel,” said De La Torre, who also works at the university library.
“So, I just want to encourage everybody to come to this class. Anybody can be stronger, and this class really is about promoting strength. Physical strength as well as inner strength.”
A mathematics sophomore, Allison Alonzo, 19, attended a class during a June session. She prepares for Strong by Zumba by always hydrating before arriving and avoids eating two hours before it begins due to the constant movement the class demands.
“There’s this part, where we do our own improv dance so everybody is just going crazy,” Alonzo said. “So, that’s the best part of Zumba is just being able, to like, be yourself while doing the songs.”
Zumba is 6:30-7:15 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in Room 134 of the Madla Building. The class is instructed by Lauren Ruiz, a marketing junior.
The Zumba class is open to anyone, and according to the university website, it combines fast and slow Latin rhythms that tone and sculpt the body using principles from aerobics and fitness to achieve cardio and muscle-toning benefits.
“This doesn’t feel like a workout to me,” Ruiz said. “This is fun.”
Each class is different. Ruiz does themes to make it as fun as she can. Right before the spring semester ended, she had a summer Hawaiian-themed class. For Halloween they danced to Halloween music and had glow sticks.
Dayjona Brown, a biology junior who plans to graduate in 2021, had attended about three Zumba classes prior to June 26.
“I was actually in the gym because I was getting ready to work out, and one of my friends came in and they said that they were getting ready to go to Zumba and I was, like, why not go with them, try it out, see how it’s going to be?” Brown said. “I actually ended up liking it.”
Since that first class, Brown now continues to attend classes right after she gets out of work.
“I like how interactive it is, like there is never a moment where you are not moving,” Brown said. “Even if the movement is simple, that’s still something that gets you pumped up and sweaty.”
The other fitness class is Mindful Yoga 12:30-1:15 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday in Room 134 of the Madla Building.
For more information on summer fitness classes, visit Rec Sports on JagSync.
