Henley Gym offers everything a group fitness class would — for free

Pictured: Eliza Wenger, senior English Major - teaching yoga class; Photo by Emma Johnson, Staff Photographer

A single class at Club Pilates can cost anywhere from $25 to $85. 

The same thing at the Henley gym is free. 

College students who want to stay fit or de-stress after a long day of classes with some guided group fitness don’t have to break the bank to do so. Chapman offers plenty of classes conveniently located at the dorms for students to enjoy for free. 

“I love the fact that it’s free,” said senior communication studies major Avery Grant. “Because I’m such a busy bee, if I take an hour out of my day to exercise, I’m going to go all in.”

Students like Grant, who are balancing a full course load with on-campus jobs and extracurriculars — plus internships and career planning — can’t spare the time and money to sign up for external classes. 

“Samantha, who was my teacher, was great,” said Grant. “I feel pressure when I’m in a workout class compared to when I’m just at home by myself. There’s other people there, so I feel more pressure to keep going and not stop.” 

Senior strategic and corporate communications major Sarah Silverman has always enjoyed a good workout class. She usually goes to external classes using free trials at nearby gyms. 

“I’ve been doing exercise classes for a long time — probably the last ten years,” said Silverman. “They’ve always made me feel so good. Working out at home, you don’t feel as motivated and you don’t really know what to do.”

But, the problem is that those classes are expensive, and a free trial only covers so many sessions.

Some of the free classes that Chapman offers are yoga, spin, pilates, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and kickboxing. There are classes nearly every day at varying times with different student instructors.

Junior integrated educational studies major Chloe Garrett has been teaching spin at Chapman for two years. She teaches three classes a week, two of which usually reach full attendance and the third being around half full. 

“I wanted to become a spin instructor because I thought it was a great way to be connected with the Chapman community while also doing something that I enjoy,” said Garrett.

She enjoys hosting special classes, like Taylor Swift and Rihanna-themed sessions, a Galentine’s Day celebration and sunset cycling where she moves the bikes to the dorm courts. 

“I love to be a positive influence on my students and I get to do that while working out,” said Garrett. “I’ve made so many new friendships and have met so many new people.”

Eliza Wenger, a senior English major, just started her job as a yoga instructor. 

“I like the fact that it’s workout with mindfulness involved too, so I’m getting a lot of mental and physical benefits with it,” said Wenger. 

Being able to workout with a community of students and uplifting them on their fitness and health journey is Wenger’s favorite part of the job.

“I remember as a freshman, signing up for the yoga classes and going to them and thinking that one day, I wanted to get my yoga certification,” said Wenger. “And now I have it. I think it’s awesome that I can inspire others to want to do the same, and I can be a resource for them to pursue a path to yoga.” 

Junior business administration major Alana Firsty, who started teaching HIIT classes this year, echoed the same sentiment.

“There’s never been a time when I’ve left a HIIT workout class feeling worse than when I came in,” said Firsty. “Finishing a HIIT class really turns my mood around and makes me feel like I can take on the rest of the day.”
Students can sign up for a free group exercise class with Chloe, Eliza, Alana or any of the other instructors at https://recportal.chapman.edu/.