First Year Experience News & Announcements
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Yell Crew Applications
Posted By: FYE, May 17, 2013Do you have a passion for UA and Alabama football? Take that passion and share it with other students by joining the Yell Crew! This group of super-fans will lead freshman students in the upper deck in cheers and other activities throughout home football games. This section will be known as the Herd, and will have the opportunity to receive great Alabama swag while cheering on our team. By joining the Yell Crew, you will share Crimson Tide tradition and history with the freshman class, and be a perfect example of what it means to wear crimson and be in the student section. Apply today at www.sa.ua.edu, under the Students tab, click The Yell Crew, and be a part of a new UA tradition! -
Massage Therapy taking clients May 10
Posted By: UREC, May 03, 2013Massage Therapy
Our new massage therapist, Beth Murphy, will start taking clients starting May 10, 2013. To schedule an appointment, please call 348-5140. The Massage Therapist office is located in the Student Recreation Center.
HOURS OF SERVICE:
Tuesday: 10:00 am-6:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am-2:00 pm
Thursday: 10:00 am-6:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am-2:00 pm
Saturday: per request
For more information, please visit Massage Therapy -
Massage Therapist taking clients May 10
Posted By: UREC, May 03, 2013Massage Therapy
Our new massage therapist, Beth Murphy, will start taking clients starting May 10, 2013. To schedule an appointment, please call 348-5140. The Massage Therapist office is located in the Student Recreation Center.
HOURS OF SERVICE:
Tuesday: 10:00 am-6:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am-2:00 pm
Thursday: 10:00 am-6:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am-2:00 pm
Saturday: per request
For more information, please visit Massage Therapy -
Tower Jump was a "splashing" success!
Posted By: UREC, May 01, 2013Last week’s Tower Jump was a huge success! 41 participants came out to experience the thrill of jumping off the 5-meter and 10-meter platforms, which are usually closed off. UA diving coach Pat Greenwell as well as some UA divers were in attendance, helping students as they got acclimated: everyone first had to master the 1-meter, then the 3-meter, then the 5-meter, and finally: the 10-meter!
“Everyone enjoyed the jump,” said coordinator Shane Reeves. “It was really fun.”
UA diver Paige McCleary was at the jump, instructing others on how to jump safely.
“There were a lot of people that came out to jump,” McCleary said. “It definitely was fun for those who helped out and for those who were able to jump.”
Greenwell said the Tower Jump was a great time to share with the students.
“We had two very big splash makers at the end but I think over all experience and thrill to jump as a fun test for everyone,” Greenwell said.
Make sure to check the “Photo Gallery” section of the University Recreation website for pictures from the jump! -
Have you gotten a FREE GNC giftcard yet?
Posted By: UREC, May 01, 2013Have you stopped by the Rec Center lately? If not, you've been missing out on a chance to win a $100 giftcard! Stop by the GNC giftcard table this week from 3-6 p.m. and walk away with a GNC giftcard! -
SRC Summer Hours
Posted By: UREC, April 30, 2013Summer hours begin on May 4th.
Saturday 9:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Mon – Fri 5:30am – 9:00pm
Summer hours will end on Sunday, August 18th*.
*SRC hours will be somewhat abbreviated depending on UREC all staff training on the Sunday, August 18th.
Family hours are May 4th – Aug 18th
SRC will resume regular scheduled hours on Monday, August 19th -
SRC Summer Hours
Posted By: UREC, April 30, 2013Summer hours begin on May 4th.
Saturday 9:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Mon – Fri 5:30am – 9:00pm
Summer hours will end on Sunday, August 18th*.
*SRC hours will be somewhat abbreviated depending on UREC all staff training on the Sunday, August 18th.
Family hours are May 4th – Aug 18th
SRC will resume regular scheduled hours on Monday, August 19th -
IFC Fall 2013 Recruitment Registration
Posted By: Greek Affairs, April 09, 2013Beginning at 9am (ct) on April 8, 2013 and continuing until September 4, 2013 registration for IFC recruitment will be open. All men interested in receiving an invitation for membership in any of the 28 IFC fraternity chapters at the University of Alabama are required to register with the Alabama Interfraternity Council through this website. There is a twenty-dollar ($20.00) charge to register for recruitment. Once you have registered for recruitment your information will be accessible by all 28 IFC chapters. However, this does not guarantee that you will be contacted by chapters about specific recruitment events throughout the spring and summer. It is recommended that you also contact the recruitment chairmen of individual chapters you are interested in learning more about. Fraternities at the University of Alabama have a tradition of summer bidding. Should you receive a bid from a chapter it does not become official until September 4, 2013. Please be sure to submit your most accurate contact information and grade reports, you will be able to edit your information until the September deadline.
Also, the Interfraternity Council holds a formal recruitment during late August and early September. During formal recruitment, each prospective new member has the opportunity to interact with individuals from fraternities and to visit chapter house. Formal recruitment gives students who have not yet received a bid the opportunity to pursue one.
To learn more about each chapter please, visit the IFC website www.alabamaifc.com .
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact the IFC Vice President of Recruitment, Ross Boardman, or the Office of Greek Affairs, contact information listed below.
Alabama Interfraternity Council (IFC):
Phone: (205) 348-2693
Email: AlabamaIFCRecruitment@gmail.com
Website: www.alabamaifc.com -
Outdoor Pool Opens
Posted By: UREC, April 03, 2013The Outdoor Pool Complex opened April 1! You can view the hours for 2013 here. Usage of the Outdoor Pool Complex is included in the SRC membership. The summer months require SRC members to pay for their dependent children ages 4-15 to use the Outdoor Pool Complex (3 and under are free).
The rates are as follows:
Alumni/Affiliate/Community - $125/child for the entire summer
Student Family/1st Year Graduate - $30/child for the entire summer
Faculty/Staff - $50/child for the entire summer -
Deep Water Fitness: not your grandma's aerobics
Posted By: UREC, February 21, 2013Deep Water Fitness: This is not your grandma’s aerobics.
This is an intense, strenuous workout, but it’s done in the water. Participants wear flotation devices and paddles; kickboards and buoys are used for added resistance.
What does Deep Water Fitness feel like? You are in the pool, and you are unable to touch the bottom with your feet. You are suspended in the water with a buoyancy belt, so you don’t have to worry about treading water or keeping your head above the surface. This way, you can free your arms and legs to perform larger movements.
Deep-water aerobics reduces the heart rate by as much as 17 beats per minute compared to land exercises, (according to the American Council on Exercise), so it might not feel like you’re working very hard! But in fact, you’re getting a strenuous workout.
Deep Water Fitness instructor Kayla Lindsay says that this class will take your workout to a new level of intensity.
“You should try Deep Water Fitness for an alternative high intensity workout, that will increase your endurance, range of motion, and balance,” Lindsay said.
Deep water exercises can also be used for sports training.
“Whatever sport you play, there are ways to use deep water workouts to aid in your training,” Lindsay said.
This new class will be held on Tuesdays, from 12:10-12:50 at the Aquatic Center on Paul Bryant Drive. The class starts on March 5th. The class is free to full-time students and members of the Aquatic Center.
The address of the Aquatic Center:
415 Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487
Corner of Bryant and Hackberry
Parking Lot Entrance on Hackberry
-Allie Hulcher -
Why hire a personal trainer?
Posted By: UREC, February 08, 2013Steffan Young is a personal trainer at the Student Recreation Center. He’s been working here a year, and most of his clients are student athletes.
Steffan showed me the newest equipment in the personal trainer studio – the Synergy 360. It’s an impressive machine with multiple stations, and the trainers told me that it was their Christmas present. Up to 20 personal trainer clients can work on it at once, whereas other machines are one-person.
The Synergy 360 has saved a lot of space in the personal trainer studio. It allows groups personal trainees to work as a team.
“It’s for a team to complete that full circle, and work together,” Young said.
I tried the Synergy 360 out a little bit, and was able to do lunges with a resistance belt, easily move a platform up and down to do stair jumps on it, work my biceps, and pull a heavy rope down that was looped through monkey bars – it was harder than it looked.
I was amazed how easily it was to move the height of the equipment – and how great a workout you could get from one machine.
Student Recreation Center employees said that a lot of students want to use the new equipment, but the equipment is for clients of personal trainers only.
I spoke with Steffan about the benefits of hiring a personal trainer.
“Anybody can benefit from it,” he said. “That’s what’s so great about it.”
Steffan said that while some people use work-out machines, they could be doing a movement wrong and hurt themselves.
One major factor that people chose to work with a personal trainer? The motivation.
“You have someone there, and you have a certain time that you have to be there, and you have to do things that you’re not going to do on your own,” Young said.
Learn more about our personal training services and prices: http://urec.sa.ua.edu/fitnessservices.cfm
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Lifeguard Training Classes
Posted By: UREC, February 06, 2013Lifeguard Training Classes are available at various times throughout the 2013 spring semester. See the website for more information.
Lifeguard Courses -
All About Pilates!
Posted By: UREC, December 05, 2012Allie Hulcher
Sarah Letcher, a junior at the University of Alabama, can remember the first time she ever tried Pilates.
“I remember going to my first class and thinking this will definitely be my last, but for some reason I gave it another shot,” Letcher said.
Now, Letcher is hooked. She’s been doing Pilates for five years.
Pilates is a total-body conditioning method that increases flexibility and strength, improves posture and balance, and develops a strong core.
The appeal of Pilates, for Letcher, is that it is a full-body workout.
“I really enjoy Pilates because it is a great full-body workout, without putting major strain on your joints, and can be done every day, unlike heavy weight bearing activities,” Letcher said.
The Student Recreation Center offers classes in both mat and Reformer Pilates.
Kim Wyatt, an instructor at University Recreation, teaches Letcher and other students both mat and Reformer Pilates. She recommends taking both classes because they each apply the basic Pilates principles but through different formats.
So how are the two different?
Mat Pilates can be done anywhere there is enough space to move freely, and uses one’s body weight and gravity for natural resistance. Reformer work is equipment-based and adds external resistance in the form of spring tension to build strength and muscle tone quickly and efficiently. Mat classes are free with a Rec center membership, and are offered five days a week in Miles studio, making it a flexible and accessible addition to anyone’s fitness program (Check the Group Ex schedule for times and instructors.)
Traditional mat classes require students to recruit their core strength to garner stability for all the exercises, so the abdominals are always engaged. Music is often used to set the tone and tempo for the class. Mat Pilates if fun and engaging, and can even incorporate a cardio aspect.
“Depending on the instructor, and the purpose of the class, mat Pilates can be quick and energetic, or more focused and deliberate,” Wyatt said.
Pilates Reformer operates on the same basic principles as matwork, but steps it up with additional resistance and stability challenges. The Reformer studio, located between the women’s locker room and Studio C (Personal Training), is home to six Balanced Body Allegro Reformers with Towers, and one demo Reformer. Space is limited, and sessions must be purchased by the participants to reserve their spot and pay the highly-trained instructors who teach Reformer.
“The Reformer is a very versatile machine, which means the variations are endless and you never get bored,” Wyatt said.
Reformer classes are individualized to fit your specifics needs. Reformer instructors have been trained in the same manner as personal trainers – they take a detailed anatomy course and more than 40 hours of training on the equipment. Most instructors observe other instructors teach before teaching their own classes.
University Recreation offers its Reformer services to students for only $15 per class-- $20 for faculty and staff. Privates and semi-privates are also available at an additional charge.
“We offer the UA community and Rec center members a quality program for an incredible value,” Wyatt said.
Take advantage of the Group Reformer Special, and get an even better deal. When three to six people create their own Reformer “group” the cost per class is only $45, making that only $7.50 per person per class if six people sign up. This is a great way to get a group of friends to team up for better fitness, save money, and have lots of fun doing something that may be new and different for them.
FREE 30-minute Intro classes are offered three times a week, but a private introduction session can always be scheduled with an individual instructor. It is important to attend an intro class before signing up for privates, classes, or groups.
“Although it’s additional expense, it's a very small investment towards improving health and well-being,” Wyatt said.
If you’re still not convinced, keep in mind that even football players do Pilates. And look where they are!
“If anyone is suffering from fitness burnout, I challenge them to come to an intro, sign up for a month of classes, and experience the difference for themselves,” Wyatt said. “You will be strengthened, invigorated, challenged, and renewed in mind and body, and I think you’ll be back!”
Those benefits certainly kept Letcher coming back.
“For me specifically I have really made Pilates a top priority for me, because I stay pretty busy day to day and although it is a great workout, you do not always leave drenched so you can go straight to the next thing on your agenda,” Letcher said.
For more information, call Whitney Spota at 348-5131.
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Instructor of the Month - Kimberly Bissell
Posted By: UREC, November 28, 2012University Recreation
Allie Hulcher
November 28, 2012
As an instructor, Kimberly Bissell has the best of both worlds.
She teaches classes at both the University of Alabama and the Student Recreation Center.
As a faculty member of the College of Communication, Bissell teaches students about journalism, design, and media effects. As an instructor at the Student Recreation Center, she teaches spin, cycle and strength, total body sculpt, and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).
“I love the classes I teach at UA, and I love engaging with students at an intellectual level, but the Rec gives me a chance to challenge people on the fitness side of things,” Bissell said.
Bissell said she enjoys the different relationships she builds with her students at the different venues. For example, she loves knowing that people keep coming back to her fitness classes by choice.
“It’s cool to know that I’m able to work with people over 2 years or 3 years, and they keep coming back,” Bissell said.
The aspect of surprise is also a thrill for Bissell.
“You walk in and you don’t always know what to expect in terms of who’s going to be there, and I think that’s really fun,” Bissell said.
Fitness has always been a part of Bissell’s life. She was an athlete in high school and college, and now she instills that love of fitness in her children, who play soccer.
But Bissell recalls when she hit a “fitness wall” in graduate school.
“I felt I didn’t have the time to exercise,” Bissell said. “When I started teaching at UA, I was the heaviest
I had ever been, and I was really unhappy with myself for getting that way. I was never overweight, but I carried around more weight than I should.”
Bissell said she had a big turnaround when she started exercising and taking Group Ex classes at the University Recreation Center.
“I think it was a very positive thing to have happened because I found the time to take Group Ex classes, and I wanted to be there because I knew it was helping me become healthier,” Bissell said.
Bissell was a regular attendant of the Rec for years when she began to consider receiving a certification to teach.
“At the time, when the Rec was a little bit smaller, I thought there would be ways to expand what was being offered,” Bissell said.
When she hears students talking about not having time to come to the Rec, Bissell can relate. But she encourages students to make time for their health and well-being.
“Having been in that position, I know how hard it is to manage time and balance all of the things we have to juggle, so I can sympathize with them but I can also say, I totally understand, but make the time,” Bissell said.
When asked why she carves time out of her week to teach fitness classes, she replied:
“I see it as a challenge – it gives me a chance to teach in a very different way.”
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HIIT class maximizes weight loss results
Posted By: UREC, November 13, 2012This fall, a new group exercise class launched at the Student Recreation Center, and it’s intense.
HIIT, which stands for High Intensity Interval Training, is a fitness class that emphasizes speed and cardio. The class is 30 minutes long, with only 20 second breaks in-between the different exercises. A HIIT workout will lose up to 9 times more fat than a similar cardio workout. A HIIT workout is beneficial because you can burn more weight in 30 minutes than you can in a regular workout for an hour.
It’s all¬¬ about keeping the heart rate up, according to HIIT instructor Kim Bissell.
“You take a very short break and go through it again,” Bissell said.
Instructor Amanda Carden said because HIIT increases your heart rate and exertion, maximum results can be expected.
“Interval training provides small breaks with just enough time to sustain a high heart rate, essentially blasting up your metabolism and burning a high amount of fat,” Carden said.
Carden said in her class she includes exercises such as burpees, squat jumps, and mountain climbers, to name a few. She makes her class go 30 seconds hard for each exercise, then takes a 20 second break in between. The goal is to hit about 4-5 rounds of all exercises.
The different exercises are designed to achieve maximum caloric burn.
Bissell said she tries to mix up the exercises each class, so participants won’t always know what to expect.
“I try to change mine up from, so it’s not the same exact thing from week to week.”
Carden said the class is definitely athletic geared due to the simplicity and high intensity of each move.
“Really anyone who wants a high-intensity, short work-out would love this class,” Carden said.
The HIIT class schedule is as follows:
Monday: 3:30-4:00, Studio B with Amanda
Tuesday: 4:30-5:00, Studio B with Kim B.
Wednesday: 4:30-5:00, Studio B with Amanda
Thursday: 3:30-4:00, Studio B with Erin