Guilt-free girlyness, at the gym
Spring break countdown: 29 days. Are you ready to bare that bod when you hit the California coast (or Jersey shore?) This week, I've ditched the DIII athletics for the athletics of the general student body.
On Monday, I attended the Recreation Center's afternoon "Body Toning" class. Okay, so I would still say my abs are far from resembling anything close to a washboard, but I'd like to think I replaced a small portion of flab with an ounce or two of muscle. And even if that didn't happen, at least I had fun and made a few friends.
The class started right at 5:15 p.m. As I set down my two workout mats, weights and elastic bands next to my small step-block tower, I glanced around the room to make sure everything was in the right place. The class held a variety of ages, body types and outfits, but all 13 people in the room had one thing in common: the glory of being a woman.
Not that this is a girls-only class, though. It just so happens that there isn't much of a male demand for "Body Toning," I guess. But guys, maybe you should reconsider. According to the instructor Anne, many of the exercises we did were the exact same ones done in the workout room. Except our dumbbells were padded and multi-colored, the heaviest at ten pounds.
"The body toning class serves as a great alternative to the weight room where many women tell me they're sometimes intimidated or clueless about what to do," Anne said.
"Classes offer an interesting leveling effect - sometimes you'll have an undergraduate instructor but you'll be sweating it out next to one of your professors or even President Brody. It's a great welcoming atmosphere to people of all backgrounds."
Anyway, Anne started the music: Britney's 2004 hit "Do Somethin'." After three and a half minutes of simple back and forth step-touches to get warmed up, Gwen Stefani led us through the next exercise. "I think this is called the girl-power remix or something," Anne joked. "Is that OK with everyone?"
On Monday, I attended the Recreation Center's afternoon "Body Toning" class. Okay, so I would still say my abs are far from resembling anything close to a washboard, but I'd like to think I replaced a small portion of flab with an ounce or two of muscle. And even if that didn't happen, at least I had fun and made a few friends.
The class started right at 5:15 p.m. As I set down my two workout mats, weights and elastic bands next to my small step-block tower, I glanced around the room to make sure everything was in the right place. The class held a variety of ages, body types and outfits, but all 13 people in the room had one thing in common: the glory of being a woman.
Not that this is a girls-only class, though. It just so happens that there isn't much of a male demand for "Body Toning," I guess. But guys, maybe you should reconsider. According to the instructor Anne, many of the exercises we did were the exact same ones done in the workout room. Except our dumbbells were padded and multi-colored, the heaviest at ten pounds.
"The body toning class serves as a great alternative to the weight room where many women tell me they're sometimes intimidated or clueless about what to do," Anne said.
"Classes offer an interesting leveling effect - sometimes you'll have an undergraduate instructor but you'll be sweating it out next to one of your professors or even President Brody. It's a great welcoming atmosphere to people of all backgrounds."
Anyway, Anne started the music: Britney's 2004 hit "Do Somethin'." After three and a half minutes of simple back and forth step-touches to get warmed up, Gwen Stefani led us through the next exercise. "I think this is called the girl-power remix or something," Anne joked. "Is that OK with everyone?"
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