If the best things in life are free, then, for the first time, VCU’s
recreation, fitness and wellness programs are among the best things.
VCU Recreational Sports will be providing free group exercise classes
to all students. In the past, students had to pay $50 for a semester of
group exercise classes or $30 for a seven-week session.
VCU is following a trend started by other universities to push
students to care more about their bodies.
“At most universities, you just go to the classes and it’s free, and
we wanted to stop nickel-and-diming students. Also with it being free,
we can open our doors to more people,” said associate professor Eric
West, VCU’s fitness and wellness coordinator.
VCU offers more than 40 group exercise classes each semester. Each
class varies in pace, intensity and goals. The classes range from yoga
and weightlifting to martial arts and Latin Caribbean dance.
West said VCU has been working toward making group classes free
for a while. He credits Tom Diehl, VCU’s new recreation sports director,
for making the classes free. Diehl tries to find revenue elsewhere to
offer the classes for free.
The new policy was a response to rising demand.
“(Over the years,) the number of people purchasing (fitness class)
passes went up tremendously, because they realize that it was a good
deal. But we also had a lot of people that were sneaking into classes,
and that was kind of another reason” to make the programs free, he
said.
West said that some of the classes that were high-attendance before
are still high in attendance, but many classes that were low have
definitely gone up. Many students are telling their friends about the
new deal and are coming to classes in groups.
Sophomore Joseann Joseph, a business major, comes to the group sessions with her friends more than
twice a week. Last year, she looked
into taking classes but feared the fee
because she wasn’t sure she would
get her money’s worth.
Now, with no pressure to pay for
the classes, Joseph tries to attend at
least twice a week. “It’s really fun to
come to a group session class where
everyone is doing and looking for the
same thing as you physically. I just
call up my friends, and we meet up
at the gym to take classes together,”
she said.
The classes are not only free for
students but also for faculty and staff
who have purchased recreational
sports memberships.
Even though the classes are free,
the instructors are still getting paid.
Most of them are getting paid more
than at surrounding gyms such as the
YMCA and Gold’s Gym.
“We’re here for the students,
“West said.” We want them to make
the money and the students to be
provided with the activities.”
West predicts the exercise classes
at VCU will be free forever.
“I don’t think we’re going to go
back. We like the numbers, we like
the idea that people know it’s free
– because we are trying to promote
health, wellness and fitness. So this is
a way to get them out,” he said.
For schedules, descriptions and
other information about the classes,
visit www.recsports.vcu.edu.