Students can attend more than 20 fitness classes free this week at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

The rec center is hosting spring semester’s fitness demo week.

Classes are offered throughout each day and are intended to allow students the chance to experience classes they might not have otherwise taken.

“The goal of demo week is to motivate people to try out more of the fitness-based classes offered,” said Paula Murray, assistant director of marketing and membership.

Two new classes offered this semester are Beyond Yoga and Pilates and Beyond Pilates Basics.

Wow’em at Weddings, Hip Hop Dance, Beginner’s Belly Dance, Yoga Basics, Fitness Pilates, Jeet Kwun Do and Boxing Basics are some returning classes.

Murray said many classes offered are on a basic beginner level, but more and more intermediate classes are being added.

Demo week is held at the beginning of each semester, including summer, and student interest and participation is consistently increasing. The event is only in its second full year, and there were almost 1,000 participants last semester, Murray said.

“I went to Beginner’s Belly Dance last semester and really learned a lot,” said Ashley Kluber, junior fashion merchandising major.

Murray said fitness demo week is one of the rec center’s most successful events, and the classes aren’t considered, strenuous or sweat-indulged.

Following demo week, two six-week class sessions are offered. The first session begins Jan. 30 and the second session begins March 13. Classes meet for one hour and 15 minutes once a week and cost $20 per student.

The majority of demo week classes are located in the Wellness Studio on the second floor of the rec center. A schedule of classes and their locations can be found at the rec center or online at www.recservices.kent.edu.

—Tanika Snyder