Conner Schuh | Banner Lena Pendelton, senior business management major, reaches toward the ceiling, stretching the muscles in her back to relieve stress.
Students at California Baptist University often sit for large amounts of time or walk around with heavy backpacks, encouraging bad posture.
Nicole Umali, junior liberal studies major and Deep Stretch class instructor at the CBU Recreation Center, said the Deep Stretch class helps counteract bad posture and muscle stress.
“I actually really emphasize that in my (Deep Stretch) classes, because I notice myself that we will just hunch over a lot and toward the end of the day your back just feels strained,” Umali said. “I incorporate a lot of poses that will help with alignment.”
Umali said the class includes poses to improve posture, including the staff pose and the camel pose, to reverse the effects of the hunching position many students may take on.
Shannon Lum, graduate student in psychology and PiYo instructor, said PiYo, a fusion of Pilates and Yoga, helps reverse bad posture by strengthening the shoulders.
“I used to have really bad posture, but PiYo has increased my strength in my shoulders. You are doing a lot of downward facing dogs and always moving through planks,” Lum said.
Class schedules can be found on the CBU Recreation Center website as both classes are offered at various times throughout the week at the Recreation Center.
