Despite classes being virtual this semester, Penn State Campus Recreation is still offering all of your favorite fitness classes, including Cardio Kickboxing, Zumba, and Yogalates, to name a few.

In response to Penn State’s coronavirus mitigation efforts, Campus Rec is holding online workouts through its social media platforms and in large outdoor settings to ensure students stay safe and healthy this semester.

Curious as ever to see how they hold up, we decided to check out the new-look fitness classes for ourselves.

When I first heard about Campus Rec’s plan to turn all fitness classes virtual, I was very skeptical. I frequently attended many of the group fitness classes last semester, so I was interested to see how the two compared.

To get the full experience of how the classes would operate, I attended Outdoor Sunset Yoga, Yogalates (Zoom), and AB-solute Core (Zoom).

The first class I attended was Outdoor Sunset Yoga, which I was very excited about. Everyone is required to register beforehand online to ensure social distancing can be followed.

The class takes place on the IM tennis courts between East Halls and the IM Building. It is recommended that students bring their own yoga mats because none are provided!

When I arrived at the tennis court, I checked in with an IM employee and rolled out my mat 6 feet apart from the girl next to me. There were about 70 people taking the class and everyone was required to keep their mask on at all times.

The instructor sat at the front of the tennis court and spoke into a microphone so everyone could hear. At times, it was hard to see what the instructor was doing because I was near the back, but I followed along with my neighbors just fine.

Overall, the class was very relaxing. I especially liked working out under the sunset. It was a unique experience and honestly, I liked it better than the traditional class in the studio. I would definitely take it again and recommend it to my friends.

Over the next few days, I logged onto Zoom for Yogalates and Ab-solute Core. Once I clicked the Zoom link on the website, it took me straight to the class where the instructor was waiting.

The workouts were structured exactly the same as they were at the IM but in the privacy of your apartment or dorm. I loved that the instructors always greeted me with a positive attitude and kept the energy of the class up, despite everyone’s camera being off.

After comparing the online classes to how they were in person, I surprisingly liked the online version better because I could easily log on from my living room instead of walking all the way to the IM Building.

Overall, I had a very positive experience with virtual and outdoor fitness classes. I personally prefer them to be online and I hope that Campus Rec continues to offer online classes in the future, even once the pandemic eases up.

I would definitely recommend the virtual fitness classes to anyone looking to get a quick workout in the midst of their busy schedule.

The virtual classes are being held on Zoom and Penn State Rec’s Instagram LIVE. To register for an outdoor class or access a Zoom link, visit the fitness & wellness website. Registration is required for all outdoor fitness classes.