Taylor Pilates class stretches toward local community

Lily Gerry attends Taylor's Monday night Pilates class because it's fun, convenient and free. "I enjoy it. It's unique," Gerry, a senior marketing major, said. "I've always done Pilates ... but it's nice to have, like, an in-person class to go to." Taylor Pilates classes are student led, free and open to any interested members of the community: students, faculty or local residents. They're taught Mondays at 5 p.m. and Fridays at 6:30 a.m. in the Kesler Student Activities Center (KSAC), said Morgan Jensen, a junior human physiology major who teaches the Monday class. Classes are taught by Jensen and senior Rylee Ruiz. Pilates is a form of exercise focusing on stability, balance and flexibility, Jensen said. It often features higher-rep movements on a mat with little to no weight resistance. Pilates improves the body's ability to sustain repeated contractions over time, instead of lifting maximum weight to build muscle, Jensen said. Taylor's Pilates classes had a soft launch, Jensen said. It started when Ruiz reserved the KSAC for Pilates with several friends. Jensen only taught Pilates occasionally. Then Johanna Kraal, health and wellness coordinator for the Main Street Mile Initiative, asked Ruiz to promote community health events in Upland by offering an official pilates class. Ruiz accepted. Later, Jensen joined to teach a second class. Jensen and Ruiz established separate Pilates sessions people could choose from. Gradually their audience expanded from fun with a few friends to a full classroom. Once, over 40 people attended Ruiz's class. It was shocking to see the number of people lining up outside the classroom as momentum built, Jensen said. Today, the class is so popular Jensen is in need of additional space and equipment. Limited supplies force participants to share self-defense mats not intended for pilates when they run out of pilates mats. Jensen is thrilled the class is so popular, though she hopes to find additional resources. "Working out can be hard to kind of find what works best for you and what you enjoy doing consistently," she said. "So it's been fun to see like the same people coming back and enjoying the space." Diana Verhagen, assistant director of Taylor's master's in leadership program and hall director, said the room is always packed. Verhagen attends the Friday morning class. She enjoys the fun movements, lively culture and diverse community. "It's hilarious, because sometimes it's Sammy boys and a bunch of women," she said. Verhagen loves that the class is open to anyone, not just students. She hopes similar classes successfully invite the local community into Taylor. While several community members attend, most participants are Taylor students, she said. Verhagen encouraged anyone interested in a fun form of movement to try the class. "It is not intimidating at all," Verhagen said. "It's a really fun atmosphere. It's very beginner level, so there's nothing to feel intimidated by. And people there are really just there to have fun while getting in exercise."