FITsteria-themed workout classes promote Weinstein Center offerings

In order to promote its group fitness class offerings, the Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness staff organized an event this fall to encourage fitness and try to get more students into the classes, said Devan Martinez, the Center's manager of fitness and facilities. 

The event – FITsteria – consisted of five themed workout classes from October 22 to 26. The Weinstein Center staff worked with Martinez to put on the week and promote the classes in a fun way. 

This is the second year the event was called FITsteria. When Martinez started working at UR two years ago, she changed the name of the event from Fitness Frenzy to FITsteria, she said.

Last year, FITsteria spanned four weeks, with one fitness class promoted per week. This year, Martinez and her staff thought it would be better to condense the events into one week and promote the regularly scheduled classes, she said.

Junior Andriana Goodhall helped Martinez prepare and execute the week. Goodhall had to make sure the props and decorations were set up for the classes and also keep track of all the people who came to the classes so their participation prizes could be distributed, she said.

Goodhall said she and Martinez had looked for inspiration online to come up with the class themes. They decided to bring back the popular “Glo Cycle” and also added some new options such as “It’s Britney, Barre.”

Senior Kiel Hollo attended the Britney Spears-themed barre class during the week. Hollo said she had tried other barre studios around Richmond before attending the class. 

“It was my first time trying the class at the gym, and I really enjoyed it," Hollo said. "I wouldn’t have known about the classes that are offered on-campus if FITsteria hadn’t advertised them."

Martinez wants FITsteria to draw students in and get their perspective on the classes and what the recreation center can be doing to improve its offerings, she said.

The classes that FITsteria highlighted are offered every week but are not usually themed. The FITsteria organizers decided to have the classes' regularly scheduled instructors teach the themed classes, Goodhall said. 

Goodhall said the number of non-UR students versus UR students in the classes varied depending on the time and day. 

People who regularly attended fitness classes were still there during the FITsteria week, Martinez said, but it seemed as if more students than usual were participating in the classes. 

“Hopefully the students will continue to come back if they liked the classes they tried during FITsteria,” Martinez said. 

Contact contributor Julia Muro at julia.muro@richmond.edu.