BamAerobics a popular Rec option

The Student Recreation Center offers a fun fitness alternative that does not include machines or walking on the Quad.

BamAerobics, a program consisting of group exercise, has students waiting eagerly in line for a variety of classes including cardio-boxing, Pilates and indoor cycling.

“We offer classes for everyone,” said Stacie Pegenau, manager of group exercise and non-credit instruction at the Rec Center. “We want students to know that they are welcome, no matter what their body type or fitness level.”

The Rec Center offers a variety of BamAerobics classes. Approximately 90 classes per week are offered to anyone who has access to the Rec Center, including UA faculty members and staff. Students can access a schedule of all classes at the Rec Center’s Web site, urec.sa.ua.edu.

Pegenau said students have access to “drop-in” classes, which are classes that offer options for all fitness levels. Students can also try Discovery Series, which are classes that are progressive and allow students to get better in a specific area such as ballroom dancing.

This year, classes are also taught at the Aquatic Center located on Bryant Drive. There, students can take Fitness Yoga and Total Body Sculpting.

Many classes are so popular, students have to wait in line or even miss out entirely on a session.

Ann Marie Staub, instructor of “Abs and Back” and academic adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences, said her class is popular and fills up pretty quickly.

“There are laws regulating how many people I can let into my room,” she said. “Sometimes, students are frustrated because they cannot take the class, and I tell them to come back next time. They usually understand.”

Pegenau said it is not uncommon for students to get frustrated when they cannot attend a class they want. Popular classes like indoor cycling, “Hip, Butts & Guts” and Pilates usually fill up to capacity.

“We only have four rooms for classes to take place, and those rooms only allow enough space for exercise equipment and 25 people,” she said. “We try to utilize the space to the best of our ability.”

Pegenau said she sometimes takes students to a larger gym inside the Rec Center to teach a class if they are not able to get into another class. While this is a convenient alternative, she said she cannot always do it.

“‘Hips, Butts & Guts’ is popular and pretty hard to get into,” said Jayne Graben, a senior majoring in nursing. “If you get to the class early, it’s fine.”

Students sometimes have to get to classes an hour in advance just to be guaranteed a space in the studio, but some students do not mind waiting.

Tasha Lee, a freshman majoring in nursing, likes to wait for the dance classes “Let’s Dance” and “Hip Hop.”

“I’m a dancer, so I love the dance classes,” she said. “Classes are more fun than running on the machines, and I love that the instructors actually know how to dance. I also like that we dance to music that we like.”

Pegenau attributes the line for classes to it being the beginning of the school year. She said the beginning of each semester is usually the busiest time for BamAerobics classes. Fortunately for students who have missed out on classes, she said, things usually slow down mid-semester.

“Students get busy in the semester and then choose the classes they want to come to according to their schedule,” she said.

Students have much to gain from taking BamAerobics classes at the Rec Center. Pegenau says she is committed to helping students learn how to be healthy and fit.
“We want students to be empowered,” she said. “We want them to take charge of their bodies.”