EVEN teachers need a lesson or two on healthy lifestyle.
The Department of Sports Sciences of the College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS) is now offering aerobics classes and other fitness programs, like weightlifting and tai chi, to teachers and non-academic personnel in the Sports Science laboratory (Sports Lab) at the Medicine Bldg.
Sports Science instructor Angelito Guilas said these new fitness programs can improve cardiovascular endurance and prevent lifestyle diseases, such as strokes, cardiovascular infarctions and cancers, which are caused by sedentary lifestyles.
“The typical teacher does arm-chair activities like preparing lessons, checking quizzes and returning papers, with no time for exercise,” Guilas told the Varsitarian. “This physical inactivity is not good for the health.”
The aerobics program has three classes: high-impact and low-impact aerobics, aerokickboxing that combines aerobics and martial arts steps, and aerohiphop that incorporates dance moves into aerobics.
The fitness program, meanwhile, serves as training ground for Sports Science students by giving them an option to become aerobics instructors.
The aerobics classes, which are held from Monday to Friday, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., are offered only to faculty members because of space constraints. A pilot program with about 20 enrollees started last May.
Guilas hopes that the aerobics program would draw more enrollees this June with the return of teachers to school. I. A. L. de Lara
