The Recreation Center will implement another program next month that requires a quarterly payment beyond the student services fee.
The Kaiser Power Pacing cycling program, which the center will offer as a class for $35 per quarter starting in February, includes 20 new stationary bikes, which the Recreation Center purchased for almost $700 each.
Recreation Center officials justified the expense by saying the new machines give the user a more comprehensive workout than the center’s Lifecycle stationary bikes, which only work the leg and gluteal muscles.
“It offers a great overall workout between leg, arm and cardio segments,” said Kate Keiger, one of the Kaiser program coordinators. “We wanted to implement a fitness program that could offer a high aerobic workout to both the male and female sectors of the U community.”
Nationally renowned aerobics expert Kristopher Kory introduced the Kaiser Power Pacing cycling program to 20 fitness enthusiasts Saturday at the Recreation Center.
The group spent five hours training to learn how to teach classes on the bikes.
The Kaiser program will be one of several programs offered by the Recreation Center that requires a payment beyond the student services fee.
However, some students said the better workout they might get from the bikes wouldn’t convince them to pay more money for a class on the new machines, which some said were intimidating.
“It looks too hard,” said College of Liberal Arts senior Allison Roesner.
But program coordinator Lisa Carlson said the machines are versatile enough to give out-of-shape participants an appropriate workout.
“The program is so well-designed that someone who is under-conditioned can sit next to someone who is well-conditioned and they’ll both benefit from it,” she said.
Some die-hard enthusiasts are willing to shell out the extra money for the class. In order to use the bikes, participants must purchase the class pass.
“I think it looks like fun,” said CLA senior Christy DeSmith. “I want to take the class because I’ve heard it’s a great workout.”
Kory emphasized the fact that a participant doesn’t have to be an expert cyclist or aerobics buff to participate.
“I feel it’s an easy program to learn and teach,” said Kory, adding that people like the program because they tend to get bored on stair steppers or they don’t want to wait in lines for machines.