Wednesday, February 17, 2010

And 1, 2, 3, Breathe, 3, 2, 1, Rest

Feeling a bit of cabin fever after last week? Fallen off the track to health that you were sticking to for the two weeks prior to the The Great Blizzard of 2010? Me too.

Before (and since) the week off, my colleague and I started back up into a workout routine that we had fallen off back in 2006 after we first met. But this time, we threw a little bit extra into the mix. We began attending Group Classes provided through the Eppley Recreation Center (the ERC).

These are FREE group classes offered at all times of the days and focus on a variety of topics. They are all taught by current students who have been trained and are actually pretty good at what they do. We attend Cycling and Abs, a 45 minute intense cycle and a 20 minute ab workout, all while listening to the latest club remixes on Monday afternoons. On Tuesday, we go to Abs and Lower Back and Stretch and Strengthen, both of which tired me out beyond my own belief. Thursdays the ERC offers what they call Happy Hour. This is a rotating class, so no two weeks are the same. Last week, we did Boot Camp. Ouch! But there are a variety of things like dance cardio classes, step classes, etc. Friday we do a thing called the BodyWedge which is this foam wedge that you do a variety of cardio and core workouts with.

Whatever you interests, if you want to get fit, do it fast, mix it up and have fun, you need to check out the Group Fitness classes. They are offered in the ERC, in The School of Public Health right next door, in Cole Field House, and in Ritchie Coliseum.

Other classes include Yoga, Pilates, Step, Cardio Kickboxing and more.

Check out there full schedule here.

And remember, it's all FREE! All you have to do is stop by the Guest Services desk and get your Aerobics card. Bring your card and student ID to each class.

What things do you like to do around campus to stay fit in your hectic schedule?

10 comments:

  1. Hey everybody! My name is Dustin Picard and I am a freshman student here majoring in Marine Environmental Science, and I am an Orientation Advisor for this summer. Eppley Recreation Center (ERC) is a great place to burn off stress and to get a good workout. Not only does it offer group exercise classes, but also the ERC houses an Olympic sized pool, a great gym, an indoor track, cardiovascular machines, and multiple basketball, volleyball, and racquetball courts. However, Maryland also offers Ritchie Coliseum which is across Route One. There students can workout at a more centralized location. Lastly, campus itself is a great place to run and bike around because of its beauty. It is extremely common to see students jogging and exercising outside, especially when the weather is favorable. At Maryland there is no shortage of ways to burn of calories and stress.

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  2. I would suggest taking advantage of the ERC. Though Ritchie still offers a weight room and a cardo room and some gym classes it is much smaller and gets very crowded. If you do use it don't go during peak hours like right around dinner or you will have to wait to use any of the machines. Also the trails by Paint Branch Parkway are a gorgeous place to run or bike when the weather is nice but I would bring a friend because they go pretty far back into the woods and it gets a little creepy.

    - Camille

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  3. Hello! My name is Catherine Gomeringer. I am a sophomore Government and Politics major from New Jersey. There are so many different ways to take a break and get exercise at UMD. As the first comments stated, the Eppley Recreation Center (ERC) is the main gym located on campus. It is on North Campus. In addition to various classes, a weight room, swimming pools, basketball and racquetball courts, and a martial arts room, the ERC has an outdoor ropes course. For those who enjoy team-building and outdoor activities, this is a great place to get exercise. The Outdoor Aquatic Center is located next to the ERC. When it is warm out, the pool is a great place to get sun, swim some laps, and people watch haha. In addition, next to the gym is La Plata Beach. This area has a turf field, volleyball courts, and basketball courts too. On a nice day, La Plata is THE spot to be on North Campus.

    For those who live off-campus, or just closer to Route 1, Ritchie Coliseum is another option. Although Ritchie does not have as many machines and classes to offer, it is great for students who are not up for the trip to the ERC.

    UMD also has several intramural and club sports. In addition, there are numerous organizations, such as the jogging club, that are great ways to get exercise and meet people while doing it! Also, many people choose to jog around Cole Field House and on-campus in general. There are also tennis courts located next to Cole Field House. There are a number of ways for students to get exercise on and off campus.

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  4. Hi, my name is Emily Bogart and I’m a Sophomore Letters and Sciences Major. This upcoming summer I’ll be an Orientation Advisor, and I am looking forward to being very close to the Eppley Recreation Center (ERC)! As mentioned previously the ERC is a great place to workout, and with many fellow Terps working out, it can be a great motivator. I personally love the exercise machines and indoor track, which are located one floor above the main check-in/front desk. In addition, the indoor pool provides a great workout and usually there is music playing underwater to keep you enjoying your workout.

    Also, there is a great CafĂ© in the Eppley Recreation Center, located one floor below the front desk, called Sneaker’s Energy Zone. They have great smoothies, which are the perfect treat after a long workout, along with sandwiches, fresh fruit, vegetables, and sushi when available. This makes it easy to fit in a workout before and class and still be able to grab some food to go!

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  5. Hi, Terps! My name is Sarah Woolsey and I'm a freshman double major in Spanish and Environmental Science, and I'll be working as an Orientation Advisor this upcoming summer.

    As has been mentioned, the Eppley Recreation Center(ERC) has a lot of great classes and equipment for students to use. A good tip to keep in mind if you want to work out and go to the ERC is that finding a work-out buddy can be a great motivation! I know that when I decide with a friend of mine that we'll both go to the gym, we help motivate each other. So whether you want to take a class together, just go use equipment, play each other in a game of racquetball, or row a race against each other on the rowing machines, that person can be a great motivation!

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  6. Hi my name is Camille Coleman and I am an animal science major here and I will be an orientation advisor next summer. As the others said the ERC is definitely the best gym option, but my favorite parts of both gyms is the workout classes they offer. They offer a ton of different options at various times and locations every day. You could do something simple like spinning or abs classes but they also have fun ones like street jam and zumba. Its a really great way to stay in shape because you have fun while working out, which is the only way I can get myself to the gym!

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  7. Hi! My name is Scott Raileanu and I am a Junior Jewish Studies Major this year. Like many of the commentators above me, I too am going to be an Orientation Advisor for this upcoming summer. Most people when they get to campus are wowed by the Eppley Recreation Center (ERC) and why not?! It’s a great facility with a ton of machines, rooms, and classes for even the most extreme gym rats to get their fix. However, like Catherine said above a great alternative if you want to avoid the huge rush in the ERC is to stop by Ritchie Coliseum on Rt. 1. Yes, they don’t have as many machines or the indoor pool but if you bring along a work out buddy it’s a nice environment to work out and enjoy getting in shape. On the other hand, as the weather has gotten nicer in these recent Spring months I think it’s a great opportunity for students to explore the campus a bit as well as get in their exercise. If you have some time and are looking for an adventurous work out, take a run through campus. I promise, you’ll enjoy the scenery and the change in pace from a treadmill to the fresh Maryland air will do you some good. No matter where you work out on campus, it’s definitely important to stay in shape and get those endorphins pumping. Good Luck!

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  8. Hi! My name is Shannon Hayes and I am going to be an Orientation Advisor for the upcoming summer. As everyone here has said, the ERC is a great place to burn off some stress and get in shape. But, for those of you who feel like you need to get outdoors, the campus offers some great trails that you can run on as well. I know that I personally love running outside in the sunlight. Paint Branch trail is a walking/biking trail that runs through campus to Lake Artemesia. You can find the trail by going towards Comcast Center and following the parking lot to the View. The trail runs right behind the View heading either towards Route 1 and the lake or in the other direction towards the golf course. It’s a great place to ride your bike, run, or just walk with your friends. It also runs under Route 1 so you don’t have to cross the street with all that traffic!!!

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  9. Hey Terps! My name is Jake DeVirgiliis, and I too am an Orientation Advisor this coming summer.

    Like everyone has mentioned, the ERC really is fantastic, but if you're like me, you care less about how shiny the weights are and more about getting in and out of the gym quickly. That's why I often like to work out at the School of Public Health gym. It's conveniently located right next to the ERC, but it's not nearly as popular. Take the long set of stairs to the right of the ERC and they'll take you into the School of Public Health, where the small and much less crowded gym will be on your right. There isn’t as much equipment, but there’s much more opportunity to use it. One thing to note is that it the SPH gym has strange hours, so make sure to check out www.crs.umd.edu before heading over there.

    Another great workout spot that is underused is Cole Field House. Running around the concourse or up and down the stairs is great for cardio.

    Also, if you're pressed for time and can't get to the gym, but want to lift, behind the field house are the ROTC chin-up bars and dip bars, open for all! Head back that way for a quick workout during finals week or if it’s nice too nice to spend any time indoors.

    Get ripped!

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  10. Hi! I’m David Todd, a rising-Senior Computer Science and Theatre Double major here and I will also be an Orientation Advisor for the Summer of 2011! There is already loads of information about the ERC listed above, including its Indoor and Outdoor pools, multiple Gymnasiums, a 2-level Weight Room, Cardiovascular Equipment room and much more. But if you’re trying to start going to the gym and you have no idea what you are doing, it can be dangerous!



    The ERC provides FREE Weight Fitness orientations. In just an hour, you can learn how to use all 400+ pieces of Cardio and Strength training equipment that are housed in the ERC, SPH and Ritchie Coliseum! You will learn how to use them safely and effectively so you don’t waste your time or hurt yourself learning!



    This Orientation program can be for Private or Semi-Private groups (up to 3 people) or larger groups of up to 20 of your friends! Usually groups are accommodated from 9-11am on Weekdays and Sunday afternoons and evenings. Visit www.crs.umd.edu to sign up for your Orientation!



    After the Orientation and you’re still feeling lost? Personal Training from certified trainers is available at the ERC and packages can also be purchased through the www.crs.umd.edu website! These sessions are ideal for one-on-one time with a trainer to design a fitness program specifically for you; they will work with you during the sessions and help you feel comfortable completing the program on your own after they’re over!



    Stay fit! :)

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