One workout routine does not fit all.
For beginners, simple activities like running on a treadmill are ideal, but variety is key for the more in-shape, said fitness instructor Christy Coleman.
Obstacle Boot Camp, a class at the Student Activities Center, caters to students looking to modify their workout schedule.
The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 a.m. in Room 207B.
"It's a different challenge every week," said Anna Dysart, freshman in nutrition, who attends the class regularly. "It helps mix up your workout."
Instead of running or lifting weights, the class uses obstacles like ladders, balance beams, cones and planks for a total body workout.
Several obstacles are combined into stations that participants perform for 45 seconds at a time. At the end of the class, the stations are linked to form one large circuit that tests the group's endurance.
The instructor keeps time as the group completes the full circuit, then challenges them to improve their speed in the next round.
The regimen, modified daily, produces a different workout routine every time, Coleman said. The challenge and variety keep participants coming back.
"It's great for anyone who needs a jumpstart or challenge," said Lacey Rae Sport, freshman in pre-veterinary medicine.
To those who vowed to get in shape in 2012, be wary of trying this class right away.
The class "isn't impossible," Coleman said, but she doesn't suggest it to students who don't exercise frequently.
"It's great for people who excercise every day, but want to change up their routine," Coleman said. "The class is also a great alternative for students who can't attend the P45 class."
P45 is a 45-day fitness plan that requires pre-registration.
In addition to circuit training, a variety of partner drills are mixed in throughout the class, helping to break up cardio with core work.
"The class is intimidating, but encouraging," said Sport, a first-time participant.
The class is only taught at 7 a.m., but to Dysart and Sport it is well worth the lack of sleep.
"It definitely starts your day off better," Sport said.
Although the class is small, with around 10-15 attendees each session, the group is open to anyone interested in adding a morning fitness class to their routine.
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