Wednesday night Insanity
Insanity offers a completely different feel for a workout class. Where yoga is slower paced and calm, Insanity brings loud, upbeat music, bright lights, and fast paced moves. If you walk into the aerobics room Wednesday at 5 p.m., you can expect to witness a group of people motivating and helping each other through challenging strength and cardio moves. The class was put together by Junior Psychology major, Carrie Boike. While challenging, the class is meant for people of all fitness levels.
“This class is for anyone who wants to get a good sweat. Everyone can go at their own pace. Don’t be intimidated by other people; everyone is at their own level. Insanity is meant to make you push yourself, but take breaks and listen to your body,” Boike said.
The class follows the Insanity videos. A screen is placed at the front of the room and loud pop music pulses through the stereo system. The workout lasts about forty-five minutes and takes viewers through a warm-up, strength/cardio circuit, and cool down. The goal of Insanity is to get your heart rate up, and keep it up. The moves focus mainly on cardio, arm strength, and leg strength. The bulk of the workout is about twenty-five minutes, but it is more than enough to expend all my energy.
The best part about this class is the pace. While the moves are hard, one move never lasts more than one manageable minute. Mixing in a variety of moves makes the workout go by quickly.
While Insanity offers a lot for arms and legs, I was really surprised at the lack of core work. For me, one of the most important components of a workout is working on my abdominal and oblique muscles. I really appreciate the attention paid to my arms and legs, but it’s strange that such a major muscle group is neglected. Insanity is the type of workout class that brings all of its participants together. We’re all struggling through the workout and pushing each other to the end.
“Insanity is so different than just going to the gym. It changes things up and is good cross training. You know you’re doing something good for your body, it doesn’t matter if you can do the whole video,” Junior Health Fitness major Maggie Arndt said.
Whether you’re a long-time athlete or a newcomer to the gym, workout classes offer a way to step out of the normal workout routine and get active with other Gusties on campus. Having a set time makes it easy to go to Lund and spend an hour exercising. No matter where you are physically, there is a class to suit you and your fitness goals.
Thursday night Yoga
“Relax. Feel your breath. Don’t think about anything outside of the four corners of your mat,” Junior Environmental Studies and Physics double major Lindsay Rothschiller said.
For me, yoga is a great way to step outside of my usual routine of study-sleep-eat-study. Class is held every Thursday night at 7 p.m. in the Lund Center Gymnastics room. Rothschiller is a certified power yoga instructor and leads the class.
“Yoga provided a work out that didn’t feel like a work out. It’s complete intensity followed by complete relaxation,” Rothschiller said.
What makes power yoga different from other yoga courses is that it’s meant to build strength. It consists of different exercises that work the core, arms, legs, back, and improve balance. I started going to yoga about a month ago, and it has quickly become one of the best parts of my week. I go in knowing that when the hour is up, I’m going to be relaxed and ready to take on the rest of the week with a clear head.
The best part is that, even though yoga is peaceful, I can feel myself getting stronger. It is a mini victory every time I go to class and can hold a pose for longer than I could the week before. Power yoga provides an all-over workout without the workout atmosphere. The lights are dimmed, soft music is playing, students shut their eyes, and everyone is only concerned with the poses. There’s no judgment. No one expects me or anyone else to be able to complete every pose perfectly, each week is just about improving.
“I think the biggest misconception about yoga is that it’s just for women, and there aren’t any strength benefits. I really thought it was going to be easy, but it was a lot tougher than I expected,” First-Year Math Education major Austin Zollner said. Zollner is a cross country runner and regular yoga attendee.
What makes yoga different from any other workout class I’ve attended is the pace. Yoga isn’t about how fast you move, it’s about holding a pose and being aware of your breath and how you feel. Each class ends with a final pose that lasts several minutes. We lie down on the mat with palms up towards the ceiling to welcome the “positive energy.”
Yoga, while it does provide a moderate strength work out, also teaches students how to be mindful of their surroundings, bodies, and feelings. One of the best things I’ve gained from yoga is the ability to step back during stressful situations and feel at ease. It’s a workout for your mind just as much as it is for your body. My only complaint about this class is that it isn’t held more often.