By Lizett Camarena
High-tempo music loudly fills the dance studios as students drop in for Latin Fusion and hip-hop dance classes. Most have goals of shedding pounds while releasing stress.
There are four weeks left for students to participate in the spring Coyote Fitness Classes at the CSN Sports Center at the College of Southern Nevada. Students can attend with a $5 semester-long membership.
Markeshia Jones, CSN dance instructor, teaches JAMercise, which involves hip-hop and jazz steps, as well as Latin Fusion, which involves salsa, merengue and samba steps.
“JAMercise is more intense,” Jones says. “I like Latin Fusion because anyone at any age can do it.”
Andrew Farrar, CSN’s intramural sports and wellness coordinator, says the ultimate goal of having fitness classes is for students to improve their health, release stress and have some fun. The CSN Sports Center held Zumba last term with more classes planned for next term.
Lisa Finnegan, a faculty member of CSN’s physical therapist assistant program, attended the CSN Sports Center’s first set of classes in early March. Finnegan says she was exited to learn that classes were expanding to the Charleston campus as they were previously only at Cheyenne.
Angela Palmeri-Davis, CSN dance instructor, created Raqs Fit, a high-cardio low-impact aerobic dance class. She also started Athletic Conditioning and Stretch Fitness, a total body fat-burning and toning workout.
“These classes are great for brain activity and adrenalin flow,” Palmeri-Davis says. “Each person can work at different intensity levels according to what his or her body can handle.”
Mareli Castañeda, CSN student and nutrition science major, enjoys taking Palmeri-Davis’ fitness classes.
“It’s not just a workout, it’s more than that,” Castañeda says. “It’s the fact that we’re all in a class and we motivate each other.”
Classes are offered thru May 1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. JAMercise and Latin Fusion are at the Charleston campus and Raqs Fit and Athletic Conditioning are offered at Cheyenne campus.
For more information contact the CSN Sports Center at (702) 651-4886 or visit http://www.csn.edu/sportscenter/.
Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada 