Students at the University of Arizona have free access to workout classes and gyms on campus. Despite that, many still choose to pay for gym memberships, pilates classes and other costly exercise options off campus.

“The way I see it, is as an investment into myself,” said UA sophomore Kate Camacho, who attends yoga and cycle classes at a local studio. 

UA Campus Recreation facilities include three locations: the South Recreation Center (SouthREC), North Recreation Center (NorthREC) and the BearDownREC. With just the swipe of their student ID, known as the CatCard, in-person enrolled students have access to all three included in tuition. 

Students have free access to gym equipment as well as weekly fitness classes at the SouthRec and NorthRec facilities, which include cycle, yoga, core, F45 circuit training and mat pilates, among others. 

These free classes are open to all students with access to the recreation facilities on a first come first serve basis via an online sign up system. 

But students like Camacho aren’t using them.

Instead, many choose to exercise off campus, even when it means paying sometimes hefty fees.

“Getting out of campus is the main reason I choose to go to yoga and cycle classes off campus. Having an outlet to escape and have a set time for myself is such an important part to my mental health,” Camacho said. 

One popular option for students is FR!DAY Pilates, a downtown pilates studio easily accessible on the free Tucson tram service SunLink and just a 20 minute walk from the UA campus.

Opened last spring, the studio has attracted a large number of UA students purchasing memberships and weekly pilates classes, as well as spin and strength classes at LET’S SWEAT Tucson located next door.  

Stephanie Keenen, manager at FR!DAY Pilates, said the studio is intentionally accessible for students and close to the UA.

“FR!DAY’s is about making every day like Friday. We like to take a step away from the crazy chaos of your day, your school, your life, turn inwards for 50 minutes and really focus on your breath work, body, strengthening and wellness,” she said. 

FR!DAY Pilates offers class plans ranging from $49 to $239, which includes access to daily 50-minute class sessions using a pilates reformer machine guided by an instructor.

LET’S SWEAT Tucson, a spin and strength training gym next door to FR!DAY, offers discounted student memberships each semester. Normally $139 a month, students pay just $309 per semester. 

“With being so close to the UA we would love students to come,” Keenen said “I started spinning when I was in high school, and having that environment away from school that was mine to workout in and de stress was super important, and that’s something we really try to drive home with all of our participants.”

FR!DAY Pilates and LET’S SWEAT Tucson also target students by holding events with sororities and campus clubs and using UA students as “brand ambassadors,” who recruit other students to the gym.

Brand ambassadors share FR!DAY Pilates content on social media while helping promote and spread the word about the fitness studio. 

“I prefer pilates classes over going to the Rec Center because of the structure,” said Camille Sealy, a brand ambassador for FR!DAY Pilates. “When it comes to working out, I tend to feel lost and overwhelmed, especially in a setting like the Rec Center where there’s a lot of people and not enough guidance.”  

She said gyms like LET’S SWEAT Tucson and FR!DAY Pilates provide nicer equipment and more instruction on how to use it compared to the UA recreation centers.

“With reformer Pilates, there’s an instructor guiding you throughout the class and correcting your form when needed, which is really important to me. The more focused environment makes me feel more confident in my workout, and I appreciate each session more especially with seeing improvement with each class while also reducing the risk of injury,” Sealy said. 

Sealy, Camacho and others say while they might be paying more for these off-campus classes, the benefits are worth the cost. 

Still, while many students are choosing off-campus gyms,  UA recreation facilities continue to be packed and busy. 

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.