Campus Recreation debuts new group fitness class schedule

Campus Recreation is offering a new schedule of group fitness classes for the spring semester, completely free to students. On the roster are old favorites like cycle, yoga and dance cardio, along with new classes like pilates and circuit training.

So far, one of the most popular classes this semester is pilates, according to its instructor Bekah Storlie. She is a senior studying exercise science and has been personal training and teaching classes for three years. Previously, she taught strength and HIIT classes.

“There was a big demand for pilates,” she said. “So, I got pilates certified, and we started teaching this semester.”

According to her, the pilates classes have been at full capacity. All classes are first come first serve, and if a session is full, people can wait to see if anyone doesn't show up. It’s encouraged for students to sign up ahead of time to secure a spot and help the instructor estimate head count, according to Campus Recreation’s Senior Fitness Coordinator, Cat Sammak.

Sammak, a former MSU student, oversees all of the classes and mentors their instructors.

Sophomores Bethany Armstrong and Hope Cassellia said they like the dance cardio classes the best. “We’ve been going since freshman year. We went to yoga for the first semester, and we loved the yoga, but then we were always looking at the dance cardio,” Armstrong said. “Second semester, we started going twice a week, and we've been going ever since.”

Cassellia has tried almost all of the Campus Recreation group fitness classes, but maintains that dance cardio is her favorite. “You can be yourself and everyone is in the same boat because you're all learning the dances pretty much for the first time,” she said. “And it's fun to dance. You don't realize how much fun it is until you dance.”

Yoga instructor Andrew Benov starts each class encouraging his students to set an intention and ends with shavasana, a yoga pose for deep relaxation. “I fell in love with [yoga] from a peace and well-being standpoint,” he said.

Benov used to be an avid climber and said he originally started teaching yoga to improve his flexibility. After suffering a back injury, he turned his focus towards yoga.

“I really think [yoga] was instrumental in keeping me active and avoiding surgery for as long as I did,” he said.

According to Sammak, the classes are open to students of all ability levels, but you should let your instructor know if it is your first time. “Our goal is to be accommodating to everyone, so having more information for instructors so they know who needs what is always helpful,” she said.

All of the instructors are certified in group fitness or personal training, according to Sammak. MSU works with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and offers a series of activity classes for credit to complete group fitness and personal training certifications.

“We’re always on the lookout for new instructors, so even if you have a slight interest and want more information on what it's like, I'm happy to talk to whoever,” Sammak said.

As of now, there are 27 group classes offered during the week at various times. Campus Recreation also offers personal training for $35 per session.

For more information about group fitness classes, visit https://www.montana.edu/wellness/campus-recreation/fitness/group-fitness/.

For more information on employment as a class instructor, email catherine.sammak@montana.edu.