The University of Connecticut Recreation Center is ringing in the new year with new classes, updated facilities and brand-new massage chairs.
According to an Instagram post, the Rec Center has improved water bottle filling stations around the gym and added massage chairs on the second floor. The gym is also in the process of upgrading the dumbbells and bumper plates, the post said.
The locker rooms have also seen some changes, with most full-length mirrors taken down and other large mirrors replaced with smaller ones.
New this semester, the Rec Center is adding one-on-one or partner personal training sessions with “certified fitness professionals who hold an [National Commission for Certifying Agencies] accredited personal training certification and have completed [the Rec’s] in-house 11-week Personal Training Prep Course,” according to the Rec Center’s website.
Unlike most fitness classes at the Rec Center, these sessions come at an additional cost according to the Rec Center website. They come in three, five or 10 session packages.
For one-on-one training, three sessions cost $150, five sessions cost $250 and 10 sessions cost $475. Partner sessions — in which two people can work out together with a trainer — cost $225 for three sessions, $375 for five sessions and $750 for 10 sessions. All sessions are one hour long. The packages are valid for six months after the date of purchase, the website said. There are no refunds.
Also new this semester, the Rec Center is offering three free aquatic small group fitness classes.
Gentle Wave is a Hatha-style pool yoga class focusing on “breath, gentle movement, and joint-friendly stretches,” according to the Rec Center’s website. Participants do yoga on a floating pool mat, on which they can relax at the end of the class. The first class will run on Jan. 31 from 11 a.m. to noon.
Nautical Flow is a Vinyasa-style pool yoga class that helps participants “build balance, strength, coordination and endurance,” the website says. The class is also held on a floating pool mat. The first session is on Jan. 27 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The final new aquatic small group fitness class is Surfer’s Sculpt. This is a high-intensity, full-body workout on a floating pool mat, according to the Rec Center’s website. It’s meant to improve participants’ “strength, balance, and control,” the website says. The first class runs on Jan. 29 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Prospective participants can sign up for the classes on the Rec Center’s website. Registration opens 24 hours before each class and is required for entry.