Justin Tomaska, a kinesiology and sports studies major, took one of the summer fitness classes at the Student Recreational Center and said the instructors helped him get a good workout.

“I think they push us harder here, so it’s a better benefit than me working out by myself,” he said.

A lot of students try to get in shape on their own at the Rec, but students who lack motivation to work out on their own can come to the classes offered by different instructors.

A few of the classes are hard, but Samantha Strykowski, fitness instructor and senior psychology major, said students shouldn’t get discouraged because they will get a good workout.

“Some students may think that these classes are hard, but eventually they get easier.

These classes are made to make you get into shape,” she said. “They’re not supposed to be hard to the point where you can’t do anything, they’re supposed to hurt and it’s one of those things that progressively, over time, it starts getting easier and you’re able to see results.”

There is a long process to become a fitness instructor at the Rec. It takes up to a semester-and-a-half before they can have their own class, so Strykowski knows how it feels to constantly do these workouts.

“It took me a good full month, month-and-a-half to get through an abs class without being sore,” she said.

Students are not the only ones going to these classes.

Eastern coaches encourage their athletes to attend these classes as well. One class recommended is the cycling class-one of the hardest in terms of cardio-to perform better while competing.

“We’ve had softball players or football players that are trying to lose weight attend the cycling classes, and we also have a lot of girls track athletes come to the abs classes,” Stratowski said.

The Rec offers a number of different classes this summer.

On Monday the Rec offers Bootcamp class at 5 p.m.; on Tuesday Intermediate Cycling is at 6:30 a.m., Med/Hi Abs is at 4:30 p.m. and Totally Toning is at 5 p.m.; and on Wednesday Advanced Abs is at 4:30 p.m. and Beginning Cycling is at 5 p.m.

Harrison Bueno can be reached at 581-7942 or at

hbueno@eiu.edu.

Students attempt to tone their abs while attending a class at the Rec Center. (Harrison Bueno / The Daily Eastern News)

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