Thanksgiving is fast approaching and with it inevitably comes the prospect of exercise. With that in mind, now is the perfect time to sign up for Group Fitness.

Beginning Oct. 29, Calvin’s Group Fitness will be offering late fall workout sessions.  The sessions range from Zumba to spinning to yoga and are held in the afternoons every day but Tuesday.  With the variety of times available, the group hopes to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules.

Anne Marie Visser and Sarah Pryor, the group coordinators, say Group Fitness is an excellent way to keep yourself accountable to exercise regularly and thoroughly, or to simply have a great time with your friends.  With the choice of a professional or student instructor, you can even choose how intense or casual you want your workout experience to be.

Professional instructors cost twenty dollars for six classes, and student-led are ten dollars.  For those who feel particularly driven, or are simply indecisive, the group also offers a pass for your choice of six or twelve classes among all of the sessions.  These passes cost $25 and $30 respectively.

The sessions run for six weeks from Oct. 29 through Dec. 7 and will be held either in HC 280, a large classroom next to the Hoogenboom Gym, or in the spinning room.  Class size usually ranges from 25 to 30 people.

On Oct. 29, Group Fitness will provide a link via student news and their Facebook page (Calvin College Group Fitness) to register for sessions.  Since their zumba classes are especially popular and fill up soon, students are encouraged to register quickly.

Visser and Pryor are very excited to see the success of Group Fitness this year and as interest and class options grow, they encourage even more people to participate.

“Fitness classes are important because they provide an opportunity for students to exercise, but also build a community within the student body at Calvin,” they explained.

Whether you want to make new friends, have a great experience, or simply stave off the Thanksgiving pounds, Group Fitness leaders say they are eager to accommodate your needs.  The coordinators are flexible and value creativity.

“If students have any ideas, we would love to hear them. We are always looking for fun and exciting classes to try,” they said.