The New Fitness Program at Your Backdoor

Instructor Dara Sypes (right) leads a challenging workout for participants in weekly her “GLUTE” class. (Photo by Kaylie Murphy)

Elon’s Campus Recreation & Wellness GroupX team recently launched their first-ever Passport Program to encourage participants to step out of their comfort zones and into new classes they otherwise wouldn’t have tried.

Each participant can get a “passport,” like the one pictured, and take the various GroupX classes listed on the passport, which is then signed off by the instructor at the end of each class. Cara Linder, a junior at Elon, said she likes the GroupX passport because she didn’t realize how many different classes GroupX had to offer. “Seeing [the classes] all on one sheet of paper really opened my eyes,” she said.

The passport includes various requirements—like trying different class genres, durations, studio spaces, and even times of day. This “allows [students] to interact with not only new instructors, but new participants as well,” said Carly Buehler, the coordinator of recreation for fitness and aquatics. “We have a lot of highly qualified instructors on staff, but a lot of people do not realize that. Many of them hold certifications that they had to study hours for,” Buehler added.

Katie Kane is a senior at Elon and serves as the GroupX team leader. She teaches pilates and cycle classes, which she said tend to draw two distinct groups of people. She has seen firsthand how the passport has led to seeing new faces in her classes and has given her a chance to teach a broader range of participants. 

“Since the passport program started,” Kane said, “I’ve seen many more people break out of their usual schedules and end up finding something else they really enjoy that they never would have tried before.”

For junior Calissa Holder, the passport is evidence of GroupX’s commitment to its participants. 

“What I love about the passport is that it shows that GroupX is invested back in us, instead of us just going to classes,” Holder said. “Fitness can feel really one-sided. It’s nice to get something back.” 

Once a participant completes the entire passport by the end of the four-week period, which lasts until March 10th, they are entered into a raffle to win prizes that include a yoga mat, a foam roller, and a Campus Rec/Well merchandise basket. 

So, what are you waiting for? Go get yourself a fitness passport! You may be pleasantly surprised at what you find.