The University of Minnesota’s Recreation and Wellness Center is offering a variety of group fitness classes for the 2025 summer session.

Popular classes such as Les Mills Body Pump, Mat Pilates and cycle classes will continue to be offered in the summer, according to Alena Flowers, fitness coordinator at RecWell. New to the summer class schedule, though, are free courses in Superblock, which aim to make wellness more accessible for all students and community members.

RecWell’s NFC Outdoor Bootcamp, held at the Fitness Court in Superblock, intends to provide students and community members of all skill levels with accessible full-body fitness without needing to leave campus housing. Flowers said that while the fitness court is not limited to student use, it’s ideal for students living in the Superblock area.

“The idea was that new students, or students in the dorms and people walking would be able to use this,” Flowers said. “It’s just a heavy traffic flow for people to engage in outdoor fitness.”

The National Fitness Campaign, also known as NFC, which partnered with the University to build Superblock’s outdoor gym, is an organization dedicated to providing fitness solutions to communities and schools across America, according to its website. The outdoor gym, named the Fitness Court, was installed in September of 2024 and features a variety of free equipment for community usage.

Now, RecWell offers NFC Outdoor Group Fitness Classes every Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. until August 15th. These classes are now one of two free fitness class options offered at the RecWell.

Flowers said that orientation season is a great opportunity for the new fitness court to catch the eyes of incoming freshmen. Flowers said she thinks that this current generation of students is particularly capable of prioritizing physical health in order to succeed in other life facets.

“What is really interesting is this generation of incoming students realize how important fitness is for the stress of trying to juggle school, work and social interactions,” Flowers said. “I’m always so impressed how many people are committed to the daily focus of incorporating exercise into their daily lives.”

Small group training is also a popular option for gym members seeking a group environment, but with more specific exercise goals. Some classes are community-oriented, focusing on providing members with a sense of confidence and connection through fitness.

Women and Weights, for example, is a six-week program. Attendees are shown how to utilize equipment and develop confidence in themselves as strong, powerful women, according to RecWell’s website. 

Even in RecWell’s most popular classes, instructors say a big focus is fostering a sense of community. Katelyn Lai, a third-year student and Mat Pilates instructor, said her favorite part of group fitness involvement is that sense of unity.

“I loved the sense of community that I fostered in the class. They love how much of a workout it is,” Lai said. “I just keep telling them, ‘Keep going, keep going!’”

Charley Rathbeger, a third-year student and instructor at RecWell, teaches a cycle class called Rhythm Cycle. She said that group fitness classes promote a constant fitness routine. 

“A lot of people are there just to get a good workout in or to be with a group of people to keep them accountable,” Rathbeger said. “Group workouts really create a scheduled time that’s over and over and over. It creates just a rhythm for working out continually.”