Group Fitness
Group Fitness (formerly known as mini courses) are physical fitness classes open to all Tufts University students, faculty, staff and Tisch Sports and Fitness center members with an active Tufts ID and email address. The purpose of these classes are to help promote an active and healthy lifestyle.
Sign up for a class today!
Individuals can either select a class that is a mini course or an "a la carte" option. Course type will be listed in the title on the registration page.
Mini Course: Individuals are signing up for all of the class sessions in that particular course. There are specific registration deadlines for each mini course. Participants are paying for the entire course and not each individual class. There are no make-up classes if an individual misses a class within the mini course they have signed up for.
"A La Carte": individuals can sign up for as many classes as they would like. Each class session is $10 and is paid online at the time of sign up. Participants should sign up at least 24 hours in advance of the class. Refunds will be given to individuals who cancel 25 hours prior to the class start date and time. Any cancelations within 25 hours may not be refunded. To cancel a class, please email
recreation@tufts.edu.
Facilities:
Tisch Sports & Fitness Center Multi-Purpose Room: located on the second floor of the Tich Sports & Fitness center (161 College Ave, Medford, MA)
Jackson Gym: Located at 50 Talbot Ave, Medford, MA
Review our class descriptions, instructor bios, and registration information at the links below.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS Power Yoga
Power Yoga is a vigorous, athletic practice with the goal of building strength, flexibility, and focus. Students move in rhythm with their breath through a flowing and varied sequence of postures including arm balances, backbends and inversions. Creative, playful sequences will encourage expansion in the body and keep students challenged. We will move and sweat and breathe together! These classes are appropriate for those new to yoga and experienced practitioners.
Power Yoga is not currently offered.
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa is one of the most common styles of yoga practiced in the West. Vinyasa is a term used to describe sequential movement through yoga postures (asanas), coordinated and guided by deliberate breath (pranayama). This flow of movement is excellent for getting your heart rate going and working up a sweat. The vinyasa practice becomes a moving meditation that can also help increase flexibility, strength, stability, calmness and focus in the body and mind. Expect a fully balanced class of forward bending, twists and backbends. This is an all levels (beginners, intermediate and advanced practitioners) class where students can expect modifications and up level options.
Vinyasa Yoga will be taught by Shelanda Irish for Fall 2023
Gentle Flow
Gentle Flow combines a series of postures, where with a gentler, lighter paced flow, students will be able to move with a sense of ease from one posture to another, coordinated with the breath. This softer pace will allow you to be more present with each posture. Designed to create space to explore your practice, to find the connection between strength, stretch and flexibility, stability and ease, and to gain greater understanding of alignment and balance in the body.
Gentle Flow will be taught by Shelanda Irish for Fall 2023
Pilates
Pilates builds kinesthetic awareness that helps you recognize incorrect patterns of movement and correct them. This Class starts with the basics of breath work to help you coordinate exhalation and activation of your deepest abdominals. Concentration is practiced to promote correct posture alignment and body awareness. Control is key when working against gravity in mat exercises. Learning to Center your powerhouse facilitates core stability and then challenges us through various arm and leg movements which develops an efficient powerhouse.We use stability balls –small balls –rings- bands-and foam rollers. This class is designed for all levels and anyone that wants to improve core - back strength - and flexibility.
Pilates will be taught by Sharon Graves in Fall 2023
Total Body
Total Body incorporates cardiovascular, core, and strength all into one workout. By combining a variety of movement patterns- using a step or the floor, functional movements, body weight, hand weights, bands, and Pilates inspired core work with stability balls and rings- your body will learn and increase muscle endurance, flexibility, and overall strength. Each class will incorporate something different so you can walk away with some new workout ideas and feel reinvigorated.
Total Body is not currently offered.
INSTRUCTOR BIOS 
Elliott McEldowney
Elliott has been teaching yoga in the Boston area for over 20 years, and teaching power yoga at Tufts for over 15.
He came to yoga after a history as a runner followed by a (near endless) stint in graduate school and substantial time in the gym, all of which left him chronically sore and tight. What he found in yoga was a way to challenge himself physically, intellectually, and emotionally and heal his body. He tries to incorporate that combination of challenge and healing in his teaching. He will be teaching PE Power Yoga for Fall 2023.
Shelanda Irish
Shelanda is a yogini, runner and boxing enthusiast. She was led to yoga several years ago after the suggestions of two of her dearest friends. At first, she was apprehensive as she was skeptical of what yoga could do for her from a physical perspective. Not only was Shelanda captivated by the physical aspects of yoga, she discovered an inner sense of peace that lives with her daily. As an individual who is a lover of movement, she wants to combine the elements of strength, flexibility, endurance and mental awareness to the classes she teaches. Shelanda is a believer that everyBODY can reap the benefits from a consistent yoga practice. Every time we step onto our mat, it’s an opportunity to put ourselves first. She aims to lead classes for all levels that are dynamic, sequential and challenging while offering adjustments, up-level options and modifications so that students leave practice feeling better from when they arrived. Shelanda completed her 200hr yoga teacher training at South Boston Yoga under acclaimed teachers David Vendetti and Todd Skoglund. She is forever grateful to them as they provided a learning experience that has enabled her to learn anything and everything from them about yoga while simultaneously evolving her own practice with words of wisdom and inspiration. Shelanda also holds certifications in Yoga Sculpt, Prenatal, Kids and Yin yoga. She is so thankful to be a part of the yoga community. Namaste! Shelanda will be teaching Group Fitness Vinyasa Yoga and Gentle Flow for the Fall 2023 semester.
Sharon Graves
Sharon Graves has been a lifetime movement specialist. Her love for aquatic fitness teaching and swimming background lead her to start an Aquatic Fitness business and also become a continuing education provider. After years of being in the water, she expanded her fitness by cross training and found Pilates.Sharon has enjoyed teaching Pilates for Tufts Physical Education and Mini- Courses for the last 25 years .
Through the years her passion for Fitness has been enhanced by Pilates, Balance, Stability Ball Training as well as different styles of boxing. In 2009 Sharon was awarded the Patient and Community Service Award thru the Mass. Arthritis Foundation. In 2020 she received the Resident Impact Award for her continued accomplishments through personal trainings. Sharon’s active lifestyle and joy for movement, has allowed her to have a career doing what she loves.Sharon will be teaching PE Pilates and Group Fitness Pilates for the Fall 2023 semester.
HOW TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES View Class Calendar
| Have an account? Follow the steps below to register for a class: |
Don't have an account?Create one here |
- 1. Click the "View Class Calendar" Above.
- 2. Find the class you want and click on it.
- 3. Read the details and click register
- Classes have limited space which is reserved on a first come, first serve bases.
- 4. Complete payment details and click register
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- 1. Click the "Create one here" link above
- Tufts student/faculty/staff- select university sso
- Tisch Sports & Fitness member- select local account
- 2. Complete the registration information for your account
- 3.Once your account is created, follow the steps under the section "Have an account? Follow the steps below to register for a class"
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Need additional help, Watch this video on how to register for classes
VIEW CLASS CALENDAR
FAQS
Please bring your own water bottle to class
If signing up for yoga or Pilates, please bring your own yoga matt
Payment is due at registration
All participants must pre-register.
Cancelations to a la carte classes must be requested to recreation@tufts.edu 25 hours in advance of the class start date/time.
- Requests made after that may not be eligible for refund.
- Mini course class cancellations must be made before the first class in the course has taken place.
Want to provide anonymous feedback? Submit our
Group Fitness Feedback form.
