More than 50 students got their groove on Wednesday night at a “SMUmba Fitness” party at Dedman Recreation Center. Hosted by Mustang Fitness Club, the party included fitness, food and fun for more than two hours.
“We’re all about helping people prevent that Freshmen 15, Sophomore 20, and junior year you want to forget,” Mustang Fitness Club President, Aubrey Richardson, said. “It’s all about connecting people to fitness and fun.”
A creative play on the fitness program Zumba, SMUmba is a dance workout set to Latin beats and international rhythms. Speakers on the second-floor basketball court blasted high-energy tunes throughout the gym to get students moving.
“I wasn’t planning on moving around this much, but I came,” said senior Ashley Tanaka. “I had fun and it was a great experience.”
Flashing LED lights set to the bumping beats gave the gym a fun, club feel. Students grabbed glow necklaces and bracelets and crowded the floor. Mustang Fitness Club first announced the event in August. The advance notice made the event highly anticipated.
“I’ve been nervous about this all day,” Richardson said. “It’s our second year doing this and it’s just all about having fun.”
A total of four certified Zumba instructors walked students through quick side steps, lunge slides, and merengue twists intended to tighten the core, legs, and butt. Within a few minutes of choreography, most dancers were feeling the burn. Each instructor invited participants to take part in their weekly GroupX classes.
“I definitely want to try to make another class during the week,” Tanaka said. “It’s all about cramming it into my schedule.”
After building up a good sweat, students rewarded themselves with chocolate chip cookies and Pokey O’s popcorn. Roly Poly provided more heart-healthy snacks of rolled sandwiches and hummus. Muscle Milk and KIND Bars also passed out samples to the gym-goers.
As part of SMU’s First Six-Weeks Program, the event is just one of many lined up by the Fitness Club this year. Richardson says a 5K run and SMU Olympic Spring Break challenge are in the works. For more updates, visit the Mustang Fitness Club Facebook page.
