How to Win Best Dressed at Every RSF Class
We’ve all been there. You’re cuddled up in your favorite blanket with a snack or five binge-watching YouTube, and your favorite YouTuber posts a ‘Getting back on track: how I eat and workout.’ With all the ‘Freshman 15’ and late-night ramen college stereotypes, it is easy for these videos to induce yo-yo diets and unhealthy weight loss. However, there is a simple way to not only get healthy in a sustainable way but also spend time with your friends (and the perfect excuse to get an acai bowl afterward?!); the group exercise classes at the Recreational Sports Facility.
Now that you know where to go (check out the group exercise schedule to find your perfect class), you need the perfect outfit. While your first venture into the world of glistening barbells and sweaty machines can be nerve-wracking, the pieces below will not only support you through the different classes but also make you feel perfectly at home.
Tai Chi, Yoga, Mat Pilates, Yogalates
These classes are definitely the ones to attend in a high-stress environment like Berkeley. They focus on recentering yourself and relieving tension. Light compression stretchy leggings in pastel colors, low impact detailed sports bras, and loose-fitting tank tops are the best to truly unleash your potential and maybe finally master a split.
HIIT, Hardcore, Circuit Training, Urban Kick, Power Yoga
With schedules packed with classes, club meetings and parties(hopefully), working out can take a backseat. These classes make the most of your time by including heart-healthy cardio and muscle building workouts all in one so you’re in and out of the gym in under an hour. Come prepared in a high impact sports bra, high waisted compression shorts, and sweat wicking top.
Stronger, Pure Strength, Burn, Introduction to Weights
If you are interested in lifting weights and building strength ( you’ll need it to get through Berkeley in one piece) but don’t know where to start, these classes are a great launchpad to teach you the basics. They definitely raise your heart rate but are less cardio-focused. Opt for trendy leggings with details like ruching and subtle contouring to bolster your confidence as you drop into a squat and match it with a complementing sports bra and top set. Flat shoes like your trusty Converse surprisingly work best for weightlifting.
Zumba, Cardio Dance, Bolly X
If the thought of mindlessly running on a treadmill or struggling up the Stairmaster gives you the sweats, consider these fun cardio workouts that will let you move to the beat at your own pace and have so much fun that you forget you’re technically working out. Fun colors,bold prints, and graphic tanks will bring out your inner Maddie Ziegler. Props to you if you actually wear something from her collection with Fabletics.
Exercise isn’t about restricting yourself from things you enjoy or forcing yourself to trudge to the gym. The wide variety of classes offered by the RSF emphasizes how important it is to find something that works for you and simplifies the process. The cute clothes and all the fun you’ll have will transform the toxic idealized image of the perfect body into a healthy happy one.
Words by Ebbani Lenka