The University of North Georgia’s Campus Wellness and Recreation is encouraging all Nighthawks to dance their way to an active lifestyle by bringing a popular Dahlonega Campus group exercise class to the Gainesville Campus.
Following the success of the original “Dance Fit” class, the sessions are now also offered at the Hugh Mills Physical Education Center Gymnasium every Wednesday at 5 p.m. Each 45-minute session features a warm-up and 10-11 routines set to popular music. Dance Fit welcomes all students, regardless of their fitness level, for community, exercise and fun.
UNG’s Coordinator of Fitness, Wellness and Health Promotion, Sara Freeman, will oversee each class on the Gainesville campus. Freeman previously taught the class in Dahlonega, which has gained massive interest in the nearly four years it has been offered.
“It’s a high-energy workout and a dance party atmosphere,” – Sara Freeman, Coordinator of Fitness, Wellness and Health Promotion
“It’s a lot of fun,” Freeman said. “It got to a point at Dahlonega that we had to move [the class] to the basketball courts because we had over 60 people.”
The first few sessions will be experimental, leaving room to make improvements to best accommodate students on the Gainesville campus.
Freeman said that Live Well UNG, the organization over CWR, measures its group class schedule in phases. The first phase of the fall semester ends on Oct. 11. After that date, Live Well UNG may adjust the class time if needed.
For those who may not be interested in dance-related exercises, Live Well UNG also offers other 45-minute classes with different fitness goals in mind.
On the Gainesville campus, the department hosts “Super Circuit” on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m., which focuses on building strength and endurance throughout the body. “Sculpt and Flow,” which emphasizes building flexibility, is offered on Thursdays at the same time.
Regardless of which class a student is drawn to, Freeman said the department encourages students to prioritize health in all aspects of their lives.
“One of the main messages for Live Well UNG is that we are made up of eight dimensions for well-being,” Freeman explained. “There’s physical, mental, social, intellectual, environmental, financial, spiritual [and career]… those make up a person… we look at it as a wheel… If you’re not taking care of yourself physically, or you’re not taking care of yourself mentally, it’s going to start affecting the whole wheel and start affecting those other [things].”
The Dance Fit class is free for students. Attendees will check in at the recreation center’s front desk to receive a ticket to the event. Newcomers to the class will be asked to fill out the Group Ex Waiver after checking in.
