With the semester already in its third week, The Well is seeing growth in its group fitness department.

Sacramento State’s recreational facility offers a variety of fitness classes to choose from. Some of the classes included are Zumba, cardio kickboxing, yoga and pilates.

Members of The Well are invited to try group fitness classes every semester during the first week for free, with the “Try Before You Buy” program. This allows for members to take any class at no cost. Through this program members can decide if group fitness is right for them before buying a pass for the semester.

Kendra Densmore, group fitness coordinator, said the program has been in place since The Well opened in September 2010 and continues to be “hugely successful.”

She also said compared with the previous year, the enrollment numbers are at an all-time high. As students become more informed about the “Try Before You Buy,” Densmore said the numbers will continue to grow.

She said the group fitness department always encourages both beginners and the regular gym goers to try group fitness.

Overall, Densmore sees the amount of participants growing in the span of “one to three years before they start to see the numbers level off.”

Jessica Roesemann, manager of membership and customer service, said students who graduate from Sac State can still maintain their fitness schedule along with being able to buy a pass for the group fitness at The Well.

Students fund The Well with health and facility fees they pay every semester.

Returning alumni who used the The Well between fall 2009 and spring 2010 are eligible to be put into the category of “prepaid” alumni. These alumni can use the facility for a discounted rate of $16 a month.

“The pre-paid alumni are the second largest membership type,” Roesemann said.

The Well offers group fitness passes for purchase after the first week to attend classes regularly during the semester. There are three different categories to choose from: cardio strength pass, mind and body pass and the all-access pass.

The cardio pass and mind and body are $48 and only allow classes to be taken within that section. The all access pass allows for any class to be taken for $68. The passes allow for the member to take an unlimited amount of sessions.

The Well has the option of a drop-in fee of $3 per class for students who do not want a pass.

If this is too expensive, members can wait until midway through the semester when the pass drops to half-price.

For some students, fitting a class into their busy schedules can be hard.

“I am not going to buy the pass this semester because it gets hard to use once midterms and finals are here,” said senior kinesiology major Shelby Ignacio.

There are also other times during the semester where a member can try any class for free without having to pay for a pass or a drop in fee. March 9 is “Spring Fitness Friday” when members can bring someone who isn’t a member to take a class from any category for free.

“In the beginning, the price can be steep with all of the expenses of the beginning of the semester,” Ignacio said. “I’d still prefer to do the pass than paying the $3 each time.”

Elisha Angrisani can be reached at [email protected].