As coordinator of the Physical Education and Sport Center's step / aerobics program, Filiz Gür's on a mission to boost the number of participants. Although the step / aerobics program has traditionally been one of the most popular of the Sports Center's offerings, attracting nearly 350 participants each semester, only 10 percent of those participants are men, she said.
Stereotypes about step/aerobics and exercise may be to blame for males' failure to see the physical benefit of the classes, Gür said. Some men may believe step and aerobics classes are for women because they incorporate dancing and others may dismiss the classes because they don't believe they amount to "real exercise," Gür said.
Nonetheless, men and women benefit equally from the cardiovascular conditioning, muscle toning, weight loss, and stress reduction a regular step/aerobics program offers. And any suggestion that step/aerobics classes aren't real exercise is way off base. "Step is not that easy - it's intensive. And it's as safe as walking. There isn't the risk of injury associated with other sports," Gür emphasized.
The Sports Center is employing several strategies to improve participation in step/aerobics classes. First, they are recruiting more male step/aerobics instructors, not only to show that men enjoy and benefit from this type of exercise, but to make men feel more comfortable in the classes. Second, there have been strategic changes in the class line-up. AeroBox, which incorporates boxing and kicking moves, has been added to the schedule this semester. Body Sculp classes, which incorporate weights, are also a new addition.
AeroBox and this semester's other new course, L.B.T.-Tone (which targets legs, bums, and tummies) are also a part of the university ongoing commitment to provide students and staff with a high-quality, cutting edge step/aerobics program. Gür, who leads classes and trains the Center's seven instructors, has received university support to attend seminars and conferences in the United States and England. Information gleaned from these experiences, as well as the results of twice a year questionnaires filled out by program participants, are used to keep the program in a constant state of change, with new classes, new schedules, and other improvements coming at least every semester if not more often. "We are very lucky at Bilkent because we can follow the newest information, bring it here, and incorporate it into what we offer," Gür said.
And that includes an emphasis on increasing participation. "I say try it and see. Aerobics and step classes provide the basics of a healthy life and they're fun," Gür said, noting that the extensive offerings of classes can accommodate even the most hectic of schedules.
Registration for aerobics/step and all other Sports Center classes, many of which are available for credit (see the list inserted in this week's Bilkent News), is going on now through February 7. Note that to register it is necessary to have a Bilkent ID or documents that prove current enrollment. For more information, call ext. 1651, 1325, or 1993.
