Hello there, my name is Alejandra, I’m a postgraduate student from Colombia. For me, exercise has always been an important part of my life, mostly because it makes me feel better and helps me cope with stressful events. Exercise can help you relieve stress, keep your mind focused on one activity rather than in your daily responsibilities and keep you fit. I’m not a big fan of sports necessarily, but I love the classes at SportBU, especially the ones where you do a lot of exercise, but don’t even realise it

For stretching

Being more flexible and constantly stretching is really important for our overall health. I personally love to attend Pilates and Yoga in order to become more flexible, focus consciously on every part of my body and enhance my resistance. Both classes are held in a quiet and relaxing environment and whether you have experience or you don’t, you can always do the exercises at your own pace or challenge yourself to go further. There are also some stretch circuits, where a series of repetitive exercises are performed throughout the class.

For Cardio and toning

I also like to balance what I do at the gym by incorporating cardio exercises to my routine. Being Colombian, is not a shock to say that my favourite class is Zumba (A mix between dancing and aerobics), because I adore burning lots of calories while dancing to my favourite songs without even realising the time passing by. I guess that is what you should look for in a class, something that you enjoy so much, you don’t want it to be over. There are also some spinning classes, where the trainer encourages you to reach your goals.

If you are trying to say goodbye to your belly and working towards a hard core then there are some classes that can help you. Body conditioning is all about moving and training the entire body muscles with extra weight. You can also join different classes, like Core and Abs, or you can do it on your own around the gym if you prefer.

More than classes

Besides the classes, the gym itself also offers you the opportunity to train (with a personal trainer or alone), to use the treadmills, static bikes, lifting weights and much more. If you decide to purchase a premium membership for the year, you get extra benefits. You get opportunities to attend free health checks during drop-in sessions, where they measure your body composition and give you advice. You can also access free drop-in sessions for massages, nutrition advice and even several workshops about nutrition or sports, all free for members. You can also bring a friend for free once a month.  In general, most classes are held at Talbot campus, but there are some classes held at Lansdowne as well.

The gym is open every day and classes tend to run between 8am and 8pm. Why not give it a try at the start of the semester? Try attending the free tasters of the classes, get a feel of the gym and if you like it, try it out! You won’t regret it.