The Vista Room, located on the fourth floor in the Central Academic Building, is normally reserved for big events, social gatherings and strategic planning sessions for the university. It has a panoramic view of the South Side of San Antonio and most students have never seen it.
Now, there is a less formal way for students to see the beautiful view and spend time together. From 5:15-6 p.m. every Wednesday through May 25, you will find the Vista Room with the same beautiful view, but prepare to sweat!
The blaring dance-inspired music and the high energy exercise free Zumba class will make you forget that you were ever in the Vista Room for anything else.
“You will always sweat in my class, that is a guarantee,” said Cavett McCrary, senior communication specialist and a Zumba certified instructor since 2015.
On a recent Wednesday meeting, McCrary gave a group of five faculty, students, staff and myself a rigorous 45-minute Zumba workout. She wants to attract at least 20 participants to her class.
“I [started this because I] wanted to get involved on campus and interact with students and faculty in a healthy environment,” McCrary said. “Eventually, hopefully, we will get a gym [studio] that faculty, staff and students can use.”
Zumba, a well-known exercise that swept the world with its high-energy music merged with strenuous dance moves, made it a popular workout choice. In the mid-90s, Zumba founder, “Beto” Perez, forgot his aerobic music tapes for a class he taught. He instead substituted his own Latin music and created the Zumba craze.
Zumba was first brought to the United States in 2001 and the demand for classes and instructors continue to grow.
“I like the group aspect and the music,” said Sharon Otholt, financial reporting analyst. “This is my first time [to class]. It’s fun and I always wanted to do Zumba.”
The Human Resources department sponsors the Zumba classes along with other health and wellness activities.
“Our main goal is for the campus to be up on wellness and healthy activities,” said Francy Leal, human resources generalist. “We want to reach a greater span for health for free.”
Leal, who also participated in the class, is as eager to build the program as McCrary. In addition to the Zumba classes, Leal wishes to add yoga, meditation and breathing techniques to the health and wellness program.
“The more volume we see, the more of a program we can build. We could have more health and wellness across the campus,” she said.
Those who did participate in the class enjoyed a fun and free workout. Sweat was present as McCrary promised, but also a little less stress, which is something that we could all use.
“It’s a more fun way to work out,” said Judith Ozuna, a junior psychology major.
According to the American Psychological Association, 30 percent of people say after they finish exercising they feel less stressed. However, less than half of adults are using exercise as a way to cope with stress.
For more information regarding health and wellness activities, visit the A&M-San Antonio’s Student Counseling and Wellness page.
