Shaun Ho / The Collegian

People of different fitness levels, ages and academic pursuits attended the Fall Fitness Festival on Tuesday.

Held at the Satellite Student Union to promote good health through exercise, the event focused on the variety of fitness classes offered at the Student Recreation Center on campus.

The festival featured demonstrations and unveilings of new classes on a grander scale than the classes̢۪ usual launch format. It also provided the opportunity to introduce both new and returning instructors.

Fitness Director and Festival Coordinator Maia Jost stressed the importance of introducing students to available fitness classes as part of emphasizing fitness on campus.

Shaun Ho / The Collegian

“Because we are a learning environment, it is our job to educate our campus community about fitness and why it’s important,â€Â Jost said.

Fitness instructor Stephanie White agreed that more students need to know what is available to them.

“Most people aren’t aware of the fact that they have this array of amazing fitness classes. The classes are a great way to interact with other students,â€Â White said.

All of the group fitness classes are taught by certified professional instructors and are scheduled in a manner that accommodates the busy lives of college students.

For students who wanted other options, vendors including Livestrong, Race for the Cure and Wellness Ambassadors were present at the event. This gave students the opportunity to find out how to get involved with each of these groups, which all promote fitness. Some even offer a chance to be a part of a cause.

The Race for the Cure vendor is even bringing an event to campus, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, on Oct. 27. It benefits the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by raising money to guarantee excellent care and help find cures.

One of the students who took advantage of the opportunity to meet with the vendors was Fresno State Spirit Squad member Melanie Davis, who said that the vendors were set up well.

“[They] were very interesting, informative, and eager to share their knowledge,â€Â Davis said.

The members of the Fresno State Spirit Squad, which consists of co-ed cheerleaders and Fresno State̢۪s mascot, also participated in numerous classes at the festival.

Squad member Andrea Schilling enjoyed the classes and said that it was more challenging than she had expected.

“They got my heart rate up more than I thought they would. I did not realize how intense they were,â€Â Schilling said. “[But] the instructors are very active and involved. They talked us through everything, and made us feel that we weren’t the only ones working hard.â€Â

Davis agreed that the instructors helped to make the classes enjoyable.

“They were very friendly and got everyone engaged with their enthusiasm,â€Â Davis said.

The event got the attention of KMPH Fox 26 News, and the event was dubbed a success by the students who were attending.

“I loved it! It was professionally set up. It was over the top excellent,â€Â interior design major Cory Strasser said.

Due to the popularity of this festival, the Rec Center plans to have similar events in the future.

Student Recreation Center classes and info

Open to all Fresno State students, the rec. center offers seven different classes: Body Pump, Body Combat, Body Flow, Hip Hop, Spinning, B.A.T. and Boot Camp.

̢ۢ Descriptions of these classes can be found online. Hours as well as instructor information are available for all classes.

̢ۢ To find out more about upcoming Rec Center events and who is involved, keep updated by getting on the Rec Center̢۪s web site.