For those students looking to get active while earning school credits, CWU provides an opportunity to pursue exercise as a part of their daily routines. They have a wide array of fitness courses that are designed to offer students different workouts with various levels of intensity to best suit their needs.

The classes are broken up into five distinctive categories spread through different times and days of the week. Undergraduate students receive one academic credit if they pass the class. Each activity course meets two hours per week, and courses may be repeated each quarter for a total of three credits.

The first category is physical education (PE), designed around rock climbing. The levels range from beginner to a more challenging class for advanced students. The second is PE fitness, which is focused on conditioning and getting the body in better shape. There are more classes offered in this category, which allows students and athletes, such as sophomore rugby player Maryjane Pasioles, to choose a workout that best suits them.

“I chose to do this because it helps give me a workout aside from rugby,” Pasioles said. “Our professor is really engaged with everything he does, so it helps us out a lot.”

PE aquatics allows students to get active in the water by offering exercises such as swimming, diving and lifeguard training. PE team sports classes provide the opportunity to participate in a sport such as basketball, while PE individual/dual classes are designed around individual activities such as golf.

First year student Frida Sarmiento said she joined the glutes and abs class to help better her health. Only meeting twice a week for two hours works well with her schedule while she pursues her major in psychology.

“The class has definitely been more challenging than I thought it would, but I enjoy getting to push myself everytime and I’m feeling better because of it,” Sarmiento said.

Active participation is essential for students looking to pass the class, so attendance is crucial. Some activity classes have an additional fee. This is to cover the use of equipment such as weights and the workout facilities used around campus. Some classes like bicycling and tennis require students to provide their own equipment.

For those students looking to get active without any additional cost or a quarterly commitment to classes, the SURC offers a “Group X” program that is also led by instructors. It involves yoga, zumba, cycling and many more active programs.

The Group X program is free of charge, since it’s now included in a student’s recreation membership fee. If three or fewer people are in attendance, then the class will be canceled and will resume on the next scheduled day. The different categories of classes are also seasonal. They are offered at different times of the year, and spots fill up quickly.