Free Week review: My thighs are still sore

It’s that time of year again, when UBC Recreation offers a wide array of free classes that cause even the most unathletic students to consider getting their 60 minutes worth of daily physical exercise. However, if you were swamped with homework or too busy whiling away the hours on Netflix to attend, fear not, for I have discovered some of the gems of Free Week.

High intensity

One of my favourite activities from Free Week was the Zumba class lead by Kirby Rae Snell. Regardless of your background in dance, Zumba is an upbeat, high-energy cardio workout that can actually be a lot of fun. As Snell puts it, “it’s not gender specific … and if you like moving and you like music, I’m sure you would love Zumba.” Bear in mind, this was one of the most popular activities with 60 people attending the class and 30 being turned away. So, if you want to do Zumba this year, you need to register quickly!

Medium intensity

Capoeira and Shallow Aquafit were both classes that didn’t make you realize how much you had worked out until the day after — my thighs are still sore. That being said, both of these classes were true gems! You can choose to either submerge yourself in the culture of Brazilian martial arts or submerge your body in the brand new UBC Aquatics Centre. Either way, at the end of class your body will feel sated.

Low intensity (but still exercise!)

There are limited options for low intensity classes, mostly because they tend to focus on some variation of Yoga and mental well-being, but of the ones offered the 50/50 Yoga Pilates class was my favourite. I tend to be the type of person who can't make it through a Yoga class without bursting into laughter at some point, but I actually made it through this class. There was a strong focus on strength training while still managing to evoke the sense of calm that Yoga should provide. I highly recommend trying this class as a way to manage stress during the upcoming year.

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