Cash in on student rec fee with virtual options

Get active online by trying weight training bootcamps, yoga, pound, and more through URFit

It is that time of the year again. The leaves are changing colour, mornings and late nights are beginning to get cooler, and some of us have had to hunt down the places we stored away our winter gear back in spring – which is to say another gorgeous Saskatchewan summer is on its way out, and that also means a dearth of opportunities for outdoor activities. With everything that is going on in the world around us, it remains important to get some physical activity regularly. The really good news is that this year, University of Regina students will have more options for fitness and recreation classes at no extra cost.

While there’s probably nothing that can beat the experience of being outdoors on a gorgeous, sunny day, that is not always an option due to the weather. However, as it gets substantially colder, it is still possible to get some exercise. It helps to remember that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. The weather may not be ideal for being outside, but some light stretching and calisthenics indoors is still better than just sitting in one spot all day. If health and fitness is a goal, it is much better if we can do a little every day than hold out for that one perfect week when we go all out. Besides, there is no such thing as the perfect week anyway. So, we need to do something daily. Maybe some yoga, or bodyweight exercises. These days, YouTube has tutorials for pretty much any level.

If, however, you are the kind of person that prefers some human interaction, and coaching, and watching a YouTube video is just not the same, you have more options on campus this fall. In previous years, all students who were charged the rec fee had free access to the Fitness and Lifestyle Centre (FLC). In addition, they got a discounted rate on all the different fitness classes that Rec Services offers.

I love the way I can almost feel the nip in the air from this picture. – bernd schulz cia unsplash

This fall, as an experiment, all students who have been charged the rec fee will continue to have free access to the FLC and will also have access to a variety of fitness classes. Some of the classes available through this opportunity are yoga, spin, cardio and weight training bootcamps, and even zumba and pound. More recently, a new class on Barre fusion has been added, as well as a class on social/ballroom dancing. As the URFit website mentions, these are just their land classes. There are also classes on AquaFit exercises that will be held at the swimming pool, for those of us more at home in the water. The most recent list of offerings and schedules are available through the URFit section of the Recreation Services page on the U of R’s website. Students should note that all classes being offered will still be shown to have a registration fee, and they need to create an account with their uregina.ca email address in order to be eligible for the student discount mentioned.

We got in touch with Jessica Lewgood, the Student Manager for URFit, to learn more about this brand-new opportunity. Lewgood mentioned that, for now, this is an experiment on providing all these classes for free. However, the student response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. This is also the first year this option is being made available to students, but given the response, it can certainly be hoped that it will be an ongoing opportunity. Masks will be required for all in-person classes, and physical distancing protocols will be maintained. There will also be more frequent cleaning and sanitation of the rooms. Lewgood mentioned that while most of the classes have been underway since late August, as long as there are open spots, students are able to register. Should a student not be sure if they want to commit for the full term, free drop-in passes for a class can be picked up from the KHS Client Services Desk to the right of the main KHS building entrance during weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.. It should be noted that drop-in passes are first come first serve, though some live-streamed options are available and can be accessed on the URFit website if you miss out on the pass option.