One of Calvin’s fastest-growing recreational programs, Group Fitness, is expanding this fall; they plan to add seven new classes and three instructors. With this growth comes an unexpected change: for the first time following the pandemic, students will need to pay a one-time, $20 fee to participate. This gives access to all classes all year round.

Last year, students could enroll in Calvin yoga, cycling, or any other group fitness classes without thinking twice about cost. This year, they’ll have to decide: is a $20 pass for unlimited group fitness worth the investment?

Students who are more casual participants — like sophomore Anika Bouwman — aren’t so sure. “Last year, I’d occasionally go to the yoga class when my schedule allowed for it, but not to the other group fitness classes. Now that there’s a $20 fee, I’m not sure I’ll make the yoga classes a priority.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, classes came with a greater cost. Instructor Hannah (Brenton) Williams explained that students had to pay $20 quarterly per class. The pandemic shut down most of the programming, but yoga was able to make it through with a group of about 10-15 masked-up students meeting in the upper dance loft. Since then, the program survived through various creative funding sources, which were temporary. According to Williams, group fitness “never [had] a designated line in the operational budget.” 

Over the last two years, class participation has expanded significantly. Williams mentioned how “over 400 students have attended at least one class per year. A lot of our classes are at capacity. We have run out of yoga mats. We’re running out of seats in cycling, which is a great problem to have. But with that, we need to be able to offer more classes. In order to do that, we need to be able to pay good instructors to teach these classes.” Instructor Macy Gerig also addressed the rising interest over the last year in the Group Fitness Program, saying that classes would often fill up 15 minutes before they began, with all the equipment being utilized in the room.

So why has this program gained so much popularity? One reason may be the integration between faith, fitness and community. Gerig’s passion for an active lifestyle, kinesiology and faith creates an environment where exercise becomes more than a typical workout. She sees the program as a space where students don’t view exercise as just a physical requirement, but as a way of honoring and worshiping God. As she explains, “if you are strong, and if you can endure and you are training your body, then you can serve the Lord in bigger ways than you can imagine.”

Williams, who has a particular passion for yoga, emphasized the mental benefits of participating.  She says that “yoga has been one of the consistent things in my life that has helped me not just in my physical fitness, but also in processing my emotions. I had a tragedy in my family, and yoga was something that really helped me through that. I think from that, I realized how empowering this practice can be for students physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.” 

Gerig explains that the group fitness program encourages a team aspect that some students may be lacking in college. Like many other students, Gerig was a high school athlete, but did not continue athletics into college. She hopes that by attending Group Fitness classes, these students can find a new sense of belonging in an active setting.

While both instructors recognize that the $20 fee is a change from what students may be used to, they hope that students will understand that it allows the program to expand. This expansion specifically includes the addition of three new program instructors and seven new classes. The growth directly supports the program’s mission of expanding access to wellness opportunities for every student at Calvin.