Group X Classes are part of each student’s fees at Montclair State Univerity.
When it comes time to pay the bi-annual tuition bill for Montclair State, payment for classes as well as room and board are not the only expenses on the list. For the spring 2016 semester, students also had to pay $976.95 in facilities fees and $421.80 in student services fees, making a total of $1,398.75 that students must dish out to the university to keep the campus up and running.
That money doesn’t just pay for the literal ways of keeping the university going, like lights, electricity, Internet connection and HVAC, but also for the services and events for students that the campus provides, one of the best being the Student Recreation Center.
You may belong to a gym at home or do YouTube workouts in your room, but you can either supplement those workouts or replace them at the Student Recreation Center, which offers many fitness and wellness activities all paid for in your student fees, adding no additional membership costs on top of what you already automatically pay the university each semester.
One of the most overlooked benefits of these fees are the Group Exercise (Group X) classes at the Department of Campus Recreation.
Group X classes are taught by students who are certified fitness instructors who have to pass tests in their field of study in order to become instructors. The students who teach Group X classes therefore know what they’re doing and understand how to motivate you, push you without going too far and modify exercises for anyone in the class with injuries or a different skill level.
Often, fitness classes at regular gyms require extra fees on top of the price of a gym membership, but Group X classes are included in the student services fees and thus come at no extra cost. Best of all, you don’t need any experience in the classes that you are taking, since instructors take the time to teach you the basics of each exercise and can modify exercises to accommodate beginners in the class as well as those who are more advanced.
One of the Group X classes that I recently tried was cardio kickboxing, a high-energy cardio class taught by the fitness instructor Jessica. This class is a great way to burn calories and build strength while having fun.
The class started with learning the basic types of kicks and punches that would be used in the class. Jessica then guided attendants in performing their punches and kicks, synchronized to an upbeat playlist of modern pop music.
The class was obviously quick-moving, since the goal was to work up a sweat and provide attendants with a cardio workout more exciting than running on the treadmill or doing jumping-jacks.
However, that isn’t to say that there are no strength-based activities in the class. Cardio kickboxing includes the squats and lunges typical of a full-body strength workout and doing it regularly can build muscle over time in the arms and legs, since using these body parts to punch and kick builds strength and stamina.
Overall, cardio kickboxing is a way to spice up the calorie-burning part of your workout while still working to increase your strength and endurance. It is also downright fun because you get to punch and kick the air and feel like a ninja or boxing master while getting fit at the same time.
Paying the facilities and student service fees are not an option, so you might as well make the most of your money and stop by the Student Recreation Center for cardio kickboxing for your next workout.
