By Tasha Mero

HONOLULU — School can get stressful at times, so it is important for students to find relaxing activities to take part in during their free time.

Student Recreation Services provides students with opportunities to participate in fun recreational events. They offer a wide selection of services such as a fitness center, intramural sports and outdoor activities.

The Fall intramural sports offered are basketball, volleyball, outdoor futsal and flag football. Flag football is a no-contact sport and consists of teams of seven.

Kaleo Carvalho, a senior, majoring in kinesiology and rehab science, currently plays on a flag football team.

“I have a love for competitiveness,” Carvalho said.

Getting involved in intramural sports gives students opportunities to meet new people and have fun. Carvalho enjoys participating in intramurals and loves his team.

“My favorite part is how we’re disciplined,” Carvalho said.

The location for each intramural sport varies but they’re usually held on the Ching Field or in Klum Gym. Games are played every 45-50 minutes. Students interested in joining an intramural sport can register online, but must have a validated ID.

About Intramurals 

There are also many other sports students can participate in, separate from intramural sprots. The Recreational Sports Board, created in 2008, is sponsored by the University of Hawaii Federal Credit Union. The sports offered are late-night tournaments for UHM students.

The student-run program offers tournaments such as water polo, table tennis, basketball and kickball. The starting times for these events vary, with some staring at 6:30 p.m. while others start as late as 9 p.m. Students who win may even receive prizes such s gift cards to the bookstore!

The fitness center located on lower campus is where students can go to workout and sta healthy. They are open throughout the school week but have limited hours during the weekends. Students must have a validated ID, bring their own towel and wear workout clothing, in order to get in and use the equipment.

Recreation Classes

After a long day of school, students wanting to relax while having fun in the sun, can do just that by taking outdoor recreation classes. Staff members, students and guests are eligible for these classes. Some of the activities offered are kayaking, stand-up paddling, scuba classes and hiking adventures.

Manoa Falls, the Lanikai Bunkers, Kaena Point and Maunawili Falls are just some of the locations that the hiking class explores. The kayaking excursions occur on different parts of the island. The class takes place in locations such as Kahana Bay, Hawaii Kai, Chinaman’s Hat and Haleiwa River.

Prices for the outdoor classes range from $5-$210 for UHM students and staff. Guests can expect to pay $5-$35 more than the student price. THe one day classes are much cheaper compared to the classes that meet multiple times a month.

The classes take place outside of school, so transportation and equipment are included, with some exceptions. Different classes meet in different locations, depending on the activity. According to the Student Recreation Services website, classes are about three hours long, but certain classes may last up to five hours.

Equipment Rentals

For students who still want to enjoy the outdoor life without taking classes, a wide variety of equipment is available on lower campus for students to rent out. Students must have a validated UHM ID as well as a Mater of Visa card. The items available for rent include coolers, surfboards, bodyboards and tents.

Students can rent out equipment on a daily, weekend or week basis. Prices for daily rentals range from $3-$20. The cheapest item a student can rent for one day is a small cooler.

To ensure equipment is returned, deposits for renting equipment are a bit pricy. Deposits can range from $20-$200 depending on the item. A deposit for a small cooler will cost $20 whereas a six to eight person tent will need a $200 deposit.

Fitness Programs

Affiliated under Student Recreation Services are several Warrior Fitness Programs. The three programs are called G.E.T. Fit, S.P. Fit and the Warrior Fitness challenge. The Warrior Fitness Challenge assesses a person’s physical fitness through tests such as bench presses, pullups and squats.

G.E.T. Fit and S.P. Fit classes range from $20-$50 for students and $30-$65 for guests or community members. The fee covers the entire session which is about a month long, but only meets on certain days. The various classes are typically held in Hemenway Hall or the rooms of Campus Center.

The G.E.T. Fit program, which stands for group exercise training, offers Zumba classes, aerobics, HULAerobics, a fitness boot camp  and yoga classes.

The Transformation Fitness Boot Camp is designed for students who want to get in better condition or lose weight. This class is open to all fitness levels. The class is held outdoors in the staircase in front of Gym 1, so schedule changes may occur due to bad weather.

In Hemenway Hall, a Vinyasa Flow yoga class offers participants with a very quiet and serene atmosphere. This class is part of the G.E.T. Fit program. Erika Magarifuji, a freshman at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has never taken a class like this before so felt a bit nervous.

“Some parts are intense,” Magarifuji said.

Magarifuji said the $40 class had a reasonable price. Magarifuji took this yoga class so she could relax.

“It helps relieve stress,” Magarifuji said.

The yoga class participants, dressed in tank tops and sitting on yoga mats, were very receptive to their teacher’s instructions. According the the Student Recreation Services website, this yoga class is designed to combine breathing and different postures into a rhythmic practice. They meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Hemenway Hall 204, from 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

The S.P. Fit programs are more progressive and require more time. Some of these classes are two hours long. The costs range from $36-$50 for students and $40-$65 for community members.

The fee for these classes covers approximately a month long session. The meeting days for classes can very, with some classes scheduled on weekends. There are many classes for students to choose from, such as dance, badminton, kung fu and ukulele classes.

Participating in recreational activities is a great way to relieve stress when school or work become too overwhelming. It’s a fun way to get involved with the school and meet some new people as well.