College students have to learn to balance classes, homework and a social life and often times, exercise is left out of the mix.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, only one in three adults get the recommended amount of exercise per week.
Some students are combining physical fitness and classes into one by taking a recreational class as a cultural enrichment credit. These classes are typically one credit and can range from workouts like aerobics and strength training, to activities such as volleyball and Zumba.
Ferris medical laboratory science senior Dakota Brandau is taking introduction to fitness to learn how to be healthier.
“It’s definitely opened my eyes to new workouts and how to use the different machines,” Brandau said. “A lot of it lately has been nutrition, so that really helps because I learned that you can’t exercise a bad diet.”
Some of these recreational classes also provide training for emergency situations, such as advanced first aid and self-defense. Ferris criminal justice sophomore Miranda Sexton is learning self-defense this semester to be prepared if she encounters an attacker.
“Obviously, if I get in a situation where I’m toughing with someone, then I need to know how to defend myself,” Sexton said.
By taking a class where they can be physically active while earning cultural enrichment credits at the same time, students don’t have to pick exercise or education over the other.
According to Sexton, these classes help students gain muscles and lose weight, amongst other benefits.
In addition, staying active during college can be motivational for students and provide them with more energy to study, to be social or to exercise more.
“I definitely have more motivation now because I do know what I’m doing more,” Brandau said. “I’ve learned what machines work what and how it affects different parts of your body. Yeah, I definitely have more motivation.”