Free fitness classes offered in Hub after finals, during summer

Students having trouble focusing on their final exams should take a break from the books and get moving, said Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center Fitness Manager Rossella Avitabile-Muller.

“[Exercising] is especially important during final exams,” she said. “It is a great stress reliever. It allows you to focus better on your exams, and it puts everything into perspective.”

She said continuing to exercise after tests are over is important as well, adding, “all of the cardio, weight loss and muscle-mass gains you’ve made start to regress in as little as two weeks of being inactive.”

BU students staying in Boston for the summer who took classes fulltime in the spring and will take classes fulltime in the fall can still use FitRec during the summer, regardless of whether or not they are registered for summer courses, said FitRec Marketing and Membership Manager Kris Covarrubias.

“We also have a brand-new young alumni plan at a significantly lowered rate for recently graduated seniors,” she said.

But exercising in a gym is not always satisfying, said School of Management sophomore Jake Scull.

“I can only really focus on exercising and sweating when I’m outdoors, so gyms don’t really do the job for me,” he said.

For students such as Scull, Boston and the surrounding area offers many alternative options for staying in shape.

Sky Zone, an indoor trampoline park accessible via the Orange Line, offers an energizing alternative to the gym.

“Trampolining is a fun way to get up on a trampoline and have fun but burn a lot of calories and get in shape while doing it,” said Dan Murray, the general manager of Boston’s Sky Zone location.

People pay to jump for an hour, $12, or a half hour, $8, but normally begin to burn calories after 15 to 20 minutes, Murray said.

Sky Zone recently built a 3-D dodgeball court, he said, and holds organized and pick-up games.

Students who would rather be outdoors can head down to the Charles River. Rather than running or biking along the Esplanade, however, Bostonians can skim along the river in kayaks or canoes and still get a workout.

Charles River Canoe and Kayak offers one-hour and one-day kayak rentals for single, double and group riders starting at $15, and canoe rentals starting at $24, according to its website.

“The thing that people say they love [about kayaking] is that your perspective is different from the water,” said Mark Jacobson, the store’s general manager. “Many people have driven down Memorial Drive or biked along the Charles, but the experience of being on the water is a different experience.”

Several Boston gyms and athletic clubs such as Boston Athletic Club offer intramural sports teams and leagues for Bostonians interested in playing such sports as basketball, soccer, field hockey and water polo, said BAC Sports and Program Director Neill Caine.

A typical season lasts about eight to ten weeks and includes a team-oriented dynamic that a typical trip to the gym would not necessarily include, he said.

“It’s fun, exciting and there is a social aspect as well,” Caine said. “It’s great to get out there and meet people while staying active playing a sport you enjoy.”

For a more inward-looking session of free alignment, yoga and running gear store Lululemon will host complimentary yoga sessions on Sunday mornings throughout the summer.

“We like to give our guests in the community things,” said Whitney Williams, a key leader for Lululemon who works at the store’s Prudential Center location. “This program is a great way for our guests to meet us while breaking a sweat.”

Even Bostonians who leave for vacation during the summer can participate in the weekly class, she said, noting that the yoga class “is a program that we do across the nation.”