BY AMY MCFARLAND
Staff Writer

Spring break is approaching, which means warm weather and short shorts will soon emerge. But along with beach clothes come beach bodies, which are difficult to attain under piles of homework, midterms and easily accessible junk food.

For those who are looking to prepare for the upcoming season, a group fitness class at the University Fitness Club might be the place to start.

From kickboxing to yoga, UFC has over a dozen group fitness classes to offer for Salisbury University students. Despite the demanding workouts, students of all fitness levels have been joining the movement to get fit with their friends.

“UFC offers a lot of wonderful classes,” Yoga instructor Shanna Hubbard said. “It’s just a great opportunity to come together and exercise.”

Zumba is a particularly popular class that combines dance moves from many genres with workouts like butt kicks and jumping jacks. The high energy workout had the room packed with girls, many of whom came with friends.

“A sophomore friend told me about it, and it was just something fun to do together,” said freshman Elise Adamopoulos.

Another student, junior Christina Bell, heard about Zumba from a friend who is an instructor.

“The movements are challenging, but it’s a good cardio workout,” Bell said.

For students who might get their feet tangled in Zumba, there are many other challenging classes offered. The cycling class involves intervals of increased speed and resistance to work up a sweat.

“Spinning’s really great because you can cater it to whatever fitness level you’re on, and you burn tons of calories,” Instructor Ashley Stone said.

Another intense workout is kickboxing, which teaches moves like uppercuts and back kicks between jumping and sprinting in place. Senior Jessica Michaels discovered the class after looking to sign up for Body Pump, which had already filled.

“It’s intense, and my whole body feels it,” Michaels said. “All of the instructors are very encouraging.”

Kickboxing instructor Amy King said the class interested her when she came across it in one of her exercise science classes.

“You sweat profusely, and you get to learn self-defense moves, which I think is awesome for anybody,” King said.

After a stressful day some students look to a less strenuous activity like yoga. Junior Demetri Vrahnos attended the class to help with his athletic career.

“I play tennis here at Salisbury, and it helps out a lot with athletics and flexibility,” Vrahnos said. “It makes me feel loose.”

UFC also offers an abs class, Body Pump and several other combination activities such as Center of Gravity, a fusion between yoga and pilates. While there is a variety to choose from, classes tend to fill up quickly since students can sign up online ahead of time.

“All of the instructors here are very encouraging, but sometimes it gets too full in here,” Michaels said.