Lifetime fitness classes are worth it

By Elisabeth Tharp | LTVN Sports Director

I am about to graduate this coming May and haven’t fulfilled my Lifetime Fitness requirements to graduate. So, I am having to take all four of my Lifetime Fitness requirements this semester. This might sound amazing to most students, as many think all Lifetime Fitness classes are “blow-off classes,” but I am here to tell you that Lifetime Fitness classes are anything but an easy A.

I decided to take beginning golf, tennis, racquetball and yoga. Each of these classes are taught by the most professional and passionate teachers I have ever met. Each teacher is extremely qualified to teach their course. Their passion for what they teach shows more and more in every class we have.

What I find to be the coolest part about these classes is the opportunity to learn about a sport you would probably never fully learn about on your own. Plus, being able to learn from a professional in the sport is a privilege. Walking into a class where there is no note-taking or no quizzes, only tests that involve remembering how to grip a club or racket and what pose is Warrior One, I totally understand why people might think they don’t have to take these classes seriously, but I don’t think they are easy.

These classes teach their students every aspect of the sport. In tennis and racquetball, we even learn about the lines on the court — what they are called and what they are there for. In yoga, we will learn a plethora of poses. Since I have ADHD, it has always been hard for me to relax my body and mind at the same time. I have always been jittery, but after this yoga class (even though it’s only been two weeks), I feel like I’m able to relax more easily than ever before in my life. Finally, my golf professor is teaching us about every aspect there is to finding your perfect swing. He makes sure that the classes are modified for each student present to ensure everyone will have the best possible swing.

Lastly, if you actually make an effort in these classes, you will break a sweat. Sweating during school might not sound pleasant, but it’s college: No one truly cares if you are sweating or not, even if you think they do. These classes work every muscle in your body, and I guarantee will help you stay fit. So, work hard and sweat it off. Not only will you come away with better knowledge of a sport you might not have ever known about, but you will become stronger physically as well.

I know I haven’t tried all the Lifetime Fitness classes Baylor has to offer, but I guarantee they are all the same: Teachers who are professionals, a sport that you would’ve never learned about if you didn’t take the class and opportunities to be fit.

Yes, you will sweat. Yes, there will be tests. And yes, you will be tired, but these classes should never be thought of as “blow-off classes.”