A new series of fitness classes at STU are trying to promote a healthy and stress-free lifestyles for students.
“It’s good to sit back and have a gentler approach to fitness. Everyone is over-stressed these days,” said Zsuzsanna Szabo-Nyarady, the course instructor.
This is Szabo-Nyarady’s fifth year of teaching fitness classes at STU. She also taught a dance history course through the university.
This semester, she’s bringing yoga and pilates to the J.B. O’Keefe Centre in an effort to get students moving while helping them relax after long days.
“They are gentle classes and they’re adapted for every skill level,” she said.
Szabo-Nyarady has taught dance and movement classes for over 20 years. She has an undergraduate degree in dance from York University.
She said she found pilates and yoga through dance. Her love of dance helped her design unique classes for all ages and skill sets.
“There are many dance programs in Fredericton, but to my knowledge there aren’t any that are specifically focused on creativity. I am very accommodating.”
The O’Keefe Centre also offers fitness programs free to students, but they focus on cardio and strength training. Szabo-Nyarady said her classes are a gentler alternative for students and faculty with health issues.
There are three different classes being taught by Szabo-Nyarady, yoga dance, pilates and hatha yoga. They all focus on specific areas of fitness, but Szabo-Nyarady mixes certain aspects of each to create a unique blend of exercises.
“I tend to do them together as I see necessary, because they can be beneficial to each other. Hatha yoga is very holistic and ancient, while the pilates approach is contemporary,” she said.
Szabo-Nyarady ultimately thinks it’s important students remember to take care of themselves.
“Exercise is the best thing you can do for your body. The gym and the classes are right on campus so they’re very convenient. It’s never too late to join.”
Students can register for the 9-week courses or attend as a drop-in. For more details, visit the J.B. O’Keefe Centre.
