By HOLLY WEILEDER

Staff Writer

Physical health and wellness concerns are at an all time high.

Even with all the great recreational facilities Tech has to offer, Wendy Miletello, an assistant professor of health and exercise sciences, thought there should be more, which is why the new classes were created.

"I arrived at Tech this past August, and I could not believe there were no aerobics offered on campus," Miletello said.

Robert Dowling, an assistant director of recreation, said he knew Tech needed aerobic programs much like the ones offered at other universities.

"Wendy and I got together and she got the classes set up for me," Dowling said. "She got some of her students together, trained them to teach the classes and really helped me in that area."

The buddy system works in many different cases, and dieticians and trainers have been known to say this system is also great for working out.

"By having a workout buddy, it increases the intensity of your workout, by providing motivation and accountability," Miletello said. "A workout can be even more intensified by something like an aerobic class, where there are more people to motivate you."

Some of the free classes that are now offered for students at the Maxie Lambright Intramural Sports Center include Body Sculpting, Washboard Abs, Cardio Kickboxing, Yoga-lates, Flextasy and Circuit Burn.

The classes are designed for everyone, no matter the level of the attendee's fitness. Other classes are designed and labeled for those who may be at a higher level of fitness.

"The Body Sculpting class gave me a great workout the first time I went," Julia Gates, a sophomore early education major, said. "A lot of the other girls in the class made it look so easy. My two friends and I had a lot of fun, but we were definitely behind."

Gates, who is a firm believer in the buddy system for her workouts, was impressed by the class.

"It did produce the results I was looking for," Gates said.

Some may be skeptical of student teachers, however, Miletello is confident in the students she taught.

"My students worked really hard to become trained to teach," Miletello said. "Their classes have been a really big hit."

On the Web site, students will find each class has a detailed description of what the class entails, who the instructor is, how long the class lasts and the fitness level the class is under.

For more information, go to the aerobic workout calendar, under recreational facilities at the Web site, http://www.latech.edu/tech/students/RecCenter/ or contact Miletello at 257-4737.