There is no need to pack into a crowded and uncomfortable workout class anymore. Traditional fitness classes are becoming a thing of the past at the Student Center.
Point Park students are now able to perform dance workouts and loosen up their bodies via television without the presence of a live instructor.
A variety of workouts are available on Fitness on Demand, which is a new program that has been presented to the University’s campus. Students can freely utilize this web-based program at the Student Center as of Oct. 27 in room 207. Students turn to a big screen and the take instructions from online professionals.
Students also have a wide assortment of fitness opportunities, ranging from cardio sports drills to mixed martial arts (MMA) training on a strategically placed monitor. Classes are already scheduled and are shown on the monitor. Students choose the class they wish to attend.
“Walk in, do it and work out,” Sam Kosanovich, the director of the Student Center, said.
Kosanovich said the videos are professional and low cost.
“You couldn’t afford to pay a live instructor for this many hours,” Kosanovich said as he pointed toward the seven-day schedule of workout sessions on a flier, and explained the various morning-to-evening classes.
“It’s very unique, convenient and advanced, as far as having the ability to work out all the time in the world,” Kosanovich said.
For those craving a dance workout, Zumba classes are offered by this program, as well as Latin Hip Hop dance, Bollywood dance training and African dance workouts. Energetic dance instructions appear on the screen, accompanied by abstract rhythms, reminiscent of an actual dance studio.
“It’s dedicated to people that want to be in shape,” Desmond Biggs, a screenwriting major who heard about the program, said. “I think that it’s simpler. It’s showing you exactly what you’re supposed to be doing,”
The Fitness on Demand program also provides meditative yoga classes for students that do not have the available time to make it to a yoga studio.
Dance major Cammi Nevarez believes the workout classes are convenient, but the yoga program may miss the mark a bit because of the noisy environment that it is in.
“Yoga for me is meditational,” Nevarez said. “You need an environment that creates that.”
Besides dancing to different ethnic sounds and genres of music, the Fitness on Demand offers core workout classes, too. It includes programs such as kickboxing, “Supreme Stretch,” “Box And Burn” and other forms of training.
David Trozzo, a student at Point Park, said he supports the idea even though he thinks personal trainers are always better.
“They should also have somebody that’s trained in these specific areas to make sure that you’re doing it right,” Trozzo said.
Broadcast reporting major Amanda Brown also might try the new system, but she thinks instructors are better.
“I would rather have an instructor [so] I don’t do things incorrectly,” Brown said. “Having someone to show me how to be more flexible to do things correctly is a lot easier than just going by a screen.”
The Fitness on Demand program will provide weekly classes in all categories.
Every Sunday, classes will occur from 12:10 p.m. to 10:25 p.m.
On every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, students can attend Supreme Stretch early in the morning at 7:15 a.m. and end their daily workout routine with live yoga at 6:30 p.m.
Students that are in need of an early energy boost can attend metabolic hip hop classes at 7:15 a.m., which takes place every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
If students are available every Saturday, Fitness on Demand will provide early Lean Abs classes at 9:15 a.m.
Classes will occur frequently for students and can be placed in between busy class schedules.
“There’s never [a] cancellation because of snow. There’s never a cancellation if an instructor is sick. There’s never a cancellation for any reason. This always comes on seven days a week,” Konsanovich said.
