• Subscribe
  • Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Login
Campus Rec Magazine
  • Sections
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • Columns
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • Campus Rec Mastermind Groups
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • Columns
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • Campus Rec Mastermind Groups
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
Campus Rec Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Programming Fitness

The Basics of Functional Fitness

Bobby Dyer by Bobby Dyer
December 4, 2018
in Fitness, News
0
functional fitness
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

Functional fitness is a growing trend in campus recreation, with students seeking to improve their every day life and movements through exercise.

There are some challenges to effectively operating functional fitness in your rec center, however, from finding good instructors to proper class structure. It’s important to understand these challenges and the basics of functional fitness for your students to reap the benefits.

Here, Doug Hurley, the associate dean of students for student activities and campus rec at Pepperdine University, shares his insights on effectively running functional fitness programs in a campus recreation setting:

CR: What are some tips for bringing functional fitness programs to your campus recreation department?

DH: At Pepperdine, we can offer a great value by getting more exercises out of equipment we already own without purchasing specialty equipment. For example, our instructors employ medicine balls, dumbbells, jump ropes, and kettlebells, which we already have. The key is the instructor is certified and knows how to offer the type of workout (intense cardio combined with weightlifting) participants are looking for.

CR: How do you encourage participation in the functional fitness classes?

DH: Have a cool looking space. Our space is outdoors with a big shade covering and a “rig” in the middle with a rubber mat floor. It attracts the participant who has worked out in their basement or garage. We focus a lot on the cleanliness of our indoor facilitates, but the functional space is a little “grungy,” which is okay. One large wall is coated with chalkboard paint for instructors to write the workout on, and the various times or weights of the participants. People also write “shout outs” on the wall. Also, there’s a great sound system, which is important in all of our group fitness classes.

CR: Where do you find instructors to teach the classes or run the new programs?

DH: We have approached several people in our community with the idea. For example, one person already involved with CrossFit expressed interest, and we partnered with him to help pay for his certification. It’s very rewarding for the coaches. Our instructors know ahead of time they may not make what they can in a local gym, but they tell us they really appreciate working in the university environment, primarily with students, where the bottom line is student health and wellness — not profit.

CR: Any other advice?

DH: Classes of this nature might work best as special, instructional classes with a different fee structure and timeline. Most of our group fitness classes run all semester, and anyone can join anytime.

With CrossFit, we offer it in two sessions during one semester. There is an onboarding time where participants learn the method and movements, and then the class progresses together. People can’t just jump in the class mid-semester. We charge a separate fee, which is more than our regular classes, but still a much greater value.

 

Tags: featuredfitnessfitness spaceFunctional Fitnessfunctional trainingfunctional training spaceinstructorPepperdine University
Previous Post

Smarter Onsite Chlorine Generator Manages Water and TDS

Next Post

Aacer Flooring Donates Maple Flooring to Local Elementary School

Bobby Dyer

Bobby Dyer

Bobby is a former staff writer at Peake Media.

Related Posts

Virtual Group Fitness
Programming

Virtual Group Fitness Unites Kennesaw State University

September 14, 2023
2024 Summit Roundtable Committee
News

Introducing the 2024 Summit Roundtable Committee

August 17, 2023
Campus Police
Operations

Campus Police Partnership Benefits NIU Recreation

July 27, 2023
Hike Series
Programming

Hike Series Furthers Inclusion at the University of Toronto

June 22, 2023
Outdoor Fitness Court
Facility Development

Outdoor Fitness Court Energizes UT Dallas Campus

May 18, 2023
Ladies Lift
Programming

Ladies Lift Classes Trending In Campus Rec

March 9, 2023
Next Post
Aacer

Aacer Flooring Donates Maple Flooring to Local Elementary School

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
Campus Rec Logo

The premier business resource for college and university recreation centers.

The Current Issue

September/October 2023

September/October 2023

Browse

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletter
  • Podcast
  • Media Kit
  • Contact

© 2023 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • Columns
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • Campus Rec Mastermind Groups
  • Buyer’s Guide

© 2023 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In