Media Credit: Photo by Melissa Blakely Laurynn Stack, a sophomore foreign language major, climbs her way to fitness. [Click to enlarge]

The University of West Florida Recreation and Sports Services department is offering weekly workshops designed to enhance workout sessions for people of all exercise levels. The five-week Get on the Road to Fitness program is led by recreation assistant Rachel Buhler and is one of the fitness and wellness programs that offers events and fitness services throughout the year.

"This isn't the first time we've offered the road to fitness program," Buhler said.  "This year is different in that we are trying to be creative for people who regularly workout. Technique is the key in exercising, and that's exactly what we are trying to teach in this session.

Buhler has been working as the UWF fitness supervisor and building manager for the past two years. She is required to conduct a fitness program each year.

"We are trying to offer something different every Tuesday," Buhler said. 

The Get on the Road to Fitness program will end on Oct. 28. It teaches participants every aspect of a total-gym and fitness workout.

"We are working with every type of equipment in the gym," Buhler said. "Even the additional equipment, such as medicine balls and resistance bands, will all be worked within the program."

The fitness and wellness programs are almost entirely led by exercise science majors and include genres for weekly events such as college T-shirt and triathlon weeks.  The programs this fall run into December and end with a Toys-for-Tots drive.

Included in the wellness programs each week are kickboxing, Pilates, step aerobics classes and more. The workouts are rated by a number system (one to three) according to the experience needed for each class, with one being for those new to the programs and three being for the more experienced.

According to the recreation department, the goal of the wellness programs is to promote positive, healthy lifestyles through a wide variety of physical activities and educational programs.

On Oct. 14, the department is offering body composition screening at 12 and 6 p.m. The screening measures body fat, heart rate and other important bodily functions to provide participants a health readout of their body.

Since the completion of the new Health, Leisure and Sports Center, student recreational involvement has increased for students such as senior Nick Rogers, who now uses the gym numerous times during the week.

"Before the opening of the new complex, I never went to the gym," Rogers said.  "I didn't know about the numerous programs that the school offers in the recreation department until I started going to the new gym."

If you would like more information the programs offered by the UWF Recreation Department, visit their Web site at www.uwf.edu/recreation/fitness.

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