According to the American Psychological Association, one way that’s been proven to avoid stress is by working out. When you work out or stay active, endorphins — chemicals that act as natural painkillers — are produced in your brain. CWU offers physical activity courses to all students to give them a chance to work out while also getting class credit for it.

One reason to take a physical activity course might be to fill out those last couple credits you need to be fully enrolled. Another reason could be taking a class in order to motivate yourself to actually exercise.

“I couldn’t speak for everybody, but I think it’s just a great way, mentally and physically, to have a break from everything that’s going on during the day,” Associate Professor and Chair of the Physical Education, School Health and Movement Studies (PESHMS) Department Rory Weishaaer said. Physical activity courses are offered to all students on campus and do not have prerequisites. The sections offered are team sports, individual and dual sports, aquatics and fitness.

Edward Callahan Jr., a lecturer and physical activity coordinator for PESHMS, said physical activity classes are beneficial to the general student body because it helps students that don’t know what to do when they work out on their own.

“I think the idea of joining a group class is so much better than trying to do it on your own,” Callahan said. “A lot of kids will say ‘I don’t know what to do when I go to the gym,’ so you come to a class and we’ve got an instructor teaching them things and it’s structured, so they don’t have to worry about what they’re going to do today.”

Most of the physical activity classes are one credit and meet twice a week for an hour each class. To sign up for taking the classes on MyCWU, the course codes for team sports is PETS, the code for individual and dual sports is PEID, the code for aquatics is PEAQ and the code for fitness is PEF.

Team Sports – Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis

Individual and Dual Sports – Beginning Badminton, Karate, Beginning Circus Acts

Aquatics – Springboard Diving, Beginning Swimming, Swimming, Swim Conditioning, Aquatic Conditioning

Fitness – Conditioning Exercises, Weight Training, Intermediate Weight Training, Military Conditioning II, Dance Fusion, Kick/Box Aerobics, Glue/Abdominal Training, Abdominal Strength Conditioning, Frisbee, Women’s Self-Defense, Stretch/Strength with Fitness Balls, Beginning Yoga, Let’s Move It, Move It