Vinson Pressley/Staff Writer
Students will be meditating and busting moves while learning to live a healthy lifestyle on Fitness Day.
The Wellness Center will be having a Fitness Day on April 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Panther Square in the Wolfe University Center. The event will have yoga classes from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Zumba classes from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. along with stress and cholesterol screenings.
There will also be dietitians on hand to inform students on how to develop a healthy diet and lifestyle and free yogurt will be given out to the students.
Sarah Kenneally, senior health educator for Student Health Services said the fitness day will allow students to relieve stress and help motivate them for finals, which begin next week. Kenneally said this was her first year coordinating the event but said this particular event has occurred before in the past.
Kenneally said that recently students have been requesting more cholesterol screenings, which she attributed to people’s curiosity about their health and what’s happening inside their body.
According to Kenneally, yoga and Zumba were chosen because that what was planned for the gym schedule during that time; the only difference is the classes held in the gym will be held out in the open in Panther Square during Fitness Day. Kenneally said that the yoga aspect of the event will help students relax while the Zumba aspect will get the students’ blood flowing and get them moving.
Students look forward to doing yoga, Zumba and relaxing before finals.
Alissa Laroche, freshman biology major, said she wouldn’t mind doing Zumba if she had the time. “[Zumba] is a workout but at the same time you’re having fun because you’re dancing. It doesn’t even feel like a workout,” said Laroche.
Laroche also discussed yoga and said although initially she feared yoga due to the flexibility aspect of it, she mentioned that yoga provides a chance to release stress and decompress.
“You can put all the stress into the workout and it makes you feel good at the end,” said Laroche.
Kevin Manikum, freshman hospitality management major said yoga helps keep him calm and is a great way to relieve stress.
Manikum has been attending yoga classes since the 2012 summer semester and does it three times a week while also attending Zumba classes once a week. Manikum said working out brings him a sense of accomplishment from finishing the class and makes him feel good about himself.
