PWS Classes Offer Fitness, Friends and Fun
Who says you can’t mix business with pleasure?
Kent State students can stay fit and refine or learn new sport skills while developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The only prerequisite: Enrolling in any of the Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) classes offered through the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies (TLCS).
Open to all Kent State students, these one-credit classes include everything from rock climbing and self-defense to meditation and Zumba.
New this fall? Pickleball! Students can learn the basics of one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., including how to organize a round robin competition and stage tournaments.
“I looked into PWS classes because I love staying active and wanted to learn about different types of physical activity and make new friends,” said Maria Torres Trevino, ’25, a senior from Westlake, Ohio, who took her first PWS class during the Spring Semester of her sophomore year. The following year, I took Zumba and Cardio Kickboxing and made a couple of friends who talked me into taking cardio again in the Spring.”
Sara Renard, a TLCS professor who teaches Cardio Kickboxing, and Pickleball, said multiple wish they knew about PWS classes sooner because they would have taken at least one class a semester. She has also had many repeat students sign up for other classes because they loved the workouts so much.
“Exercise doesn't have to be boring and monotonous,” said Renard. “Every PWS class is a different, fun and engaging workout. I want students to learn how to do bodyweight and weighted exercises with a variety of equipment and have confidence when learning a new fitness skillset that they can use for the rest of their life.”
Tuition and fees are the same for 12-18 hours of coursework so most full-time students can take a graded activity class without increasing the cost of tuition. Cardio Kickboxing has an added cost up to $30 to cover the cost of boxing gloves that students can use at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center to practice the skills they learn.
“These classes took my mind off the stress of other classes,” said Trevino, who works as a Resident Assistant. “I post flyers in the halls and recommend PWS classes to students every chance I get. They’re a nice way to release tension.”