Spring break countdown: 29 days. Are you ready to bare that bod when you hit the California coast (or Jersey shore?) This week, I've ditched the DIII athletics for the athletics of the general student body.
On Monday, I attended the Recreation Center's afternoon "Body Toning" class. Okay, so I would still say my abs are far from resembling anything close to a washboard, but I'd like to think I replaced a small portion of flab with an ounce or two of muscle. And even if that didn't happen, at least I had fun and made a few friends.
The class started right at 5:15 p.m. As I set down my two workout mats, weights and elastic bands next to my small step-block tower, I glanced around the room to make sure everything was in the right place. The class held a variety of ages, body types and outfits, but all 13 people in the room had one thing in common: the glory of being a woman.
Not that this is a girls-only class, though. It just so happens that there isn't much of a male demand for "Body Toning," I guess. But guys, maybe you should reconsider. According to the instructor Anne, many of the exercises we did were the exact same ones done in the workout room. Except our dumbbells were padded and multi-colored, the heaviest at ten pounds.
"The body toning class serves as a great alternative to the weight room where many women tell me they're sometimes intimidated or clueless about what to do," Anne said.
"Classes offer an interesting leveling effect - sometimes you'll have an undergraduate instructor but you'll be sweating it out next to one of your professors or even President Brody. It's a great welcoming atmosphere to people of all backgrounds."
Anyway, Anne started the music: Britney's 2004 hit "Do Somethin'." After three and a half minutes of simple back and forth step-touches to get warmed up, Gwen Stefani led us through the next exercise. "I think this is called the girl-power remix or something," Anne joked. "Is that OK with everyone?"
An overwhelming approval was given, and class continued. After warm-up, we did all sorts of bends, pushes and crunches to touch muscles I didn't even know I had. Some of the exercises were basic push-ups, some were more complicated forms of simple crunches or leg lifts. Anne also busted out a secret stash of ankle weights. "Are these okay with everyone, or are you guys opposed to looking too '80s?" she asked. Once again, the class seemed to embrace the silliness as we eagerly strapped on the bright blue weights.
At this point I realized I was having fun. After witnessing some varsity practices, I would definitely put fitness classes in a totally different category. Perhaps the workout wasn't quite as intense (physically or mentally), but it's the atmosphere of a fitness class that keeps members coming back for more. Instead of whistles, orders or suicides, we gabbed about Gwen's pregnancy and American Gladiators.
"Classes that offer something extra for stress relief - like the mind-body connection in yoga or Pilates - are still big and I don't see that dying off anytime soon ... I think women have been getting more and more into strength training."
The hour was coming to an end. I hadn't really broken a sweat, but I did feel a slight burn in some areas: my calves, my biceps and my back. Probably not enough to make a huge difference when I don my bikini this spring, but at least I strengthened the normal social interaction skills, a muscle group that seems to be a little rusty in many Hopkins students.
"Overall it's a great workout for your muscles that don't get as much attention when you just use the treadmill or the elliptical," body toner Carleigh Connelly said.
If you're looking to have a guiltless hour of girlyness, you and your friends should drop the non-fat, no-whip, sugar-free lattes and just hit the gym. It's really not that hard. You'll save a few bucks and burn a few calories, too!
Anne summed it up when she said, "I think exercise and sleep are two things Hopkins students cut out when they get busy, but they're really the things that make people the most productive over time! Exercise is important, and while our classes offer great opportunities to be active, there's so many other opportunities on campus too. Everyone should choose something and do it a few times a week - not just for your physical health but also for your mental sanity!"
