Build your skills with courses designed to provide you with a foundation in wellness, specific sports, training styles, and more! From learning the basics of boxing to deepening your knowledge and practice of yoga, our instructors will create an experience for you to grow and connect with yourself and the world in new ways.
Getting Started
- Princeton University students and Dillon Gym members must register through our online portal.
- Some programs may require you to provide your own equipment - review the descriptions below.
Fall 2023
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Arm Balances & Inversions
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Instructor: Ruth Gatling
Time: Fridays, 12pm
Dates: October 27th - November 17th
Location: Dillon Gym (MPR)Cost: $50 ($25 for students)
Arm balances are a fun and challenging way to gain strength, balance, body awareness, confidence, and humility. Inversions in our yoga practice encourage us to see the world from a different perspective. If you've been curious or intrigued by how to advance your practice, join us for this four-week journey into postures such as handstand, forearm stand, crow, firefly and so much more! Challenge your body and your mind along with deepening your connection to yourself and one another through these playful yoga postures.
Registration will open 10/2.
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Boxing 101
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Instructor: Jared Jones
A: Wednesdays, 7pm - 8pm
OR
B: Fridays, 5pm - 6pm
Dates: September 20th - November 3rd
Location: GFR (Dillon Gym)Cost: $50
Learn the skills and movements of the science of boxing from head movement, footwork, and mental strategy that forms self-defense.
*Participants must bring their own gloves.
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Figure Skating I
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Instructor: Figure Skating Club
Time: Tuesdays, 3pm - 4pm
Dates: September 18th - November 14th
Location: Baker RinkCost: $55
Focusing on the fundamentals such as stroking, stopping, and basic turns, this class will be an introduction to figure skating for anyone who is completely new to the sport or has little experience. This is an 8-week program.
No Dillon Gym membership is required for this class as it is held at Baker Rink.
Skaters from this level will have the opportunity to participate in the annual Princeton University Figure Skating Team's Winter and Spring shows where they can show off their new skills to family and friends around the Princeton Community alongside experienced Princeton skaters!
*Participants must bring their own skates.
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Figure Skating II
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Instructor: Figure Skating Club
Time: Tuesdays, 10am - 10:45am
Dates: September 18th - November 14th
Location: Baker RinkCost: $55
Building off of the basic foundational skills, this class challenges skaters to enhance their basic skills while also taking on new challenges such as more complex turns, spins, basic choreography, and beginning jumps. This class is very tailored to the needs and goals of each individual skater - therefore, whatever skills you would like to work on, we are here to support you! This is an 8-week class. No Dillon Gym membership is required as it is held at Baker Rink.
Skaters from this level will have the opportunity to participate in the annual Princeton University Figure Skating Team's Winter and Spring shows where they can show off their new skills to family and friends around the Princeton Community alongside experienced Princeton skaters!
*Participants must bring their own skates.
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Introduction to Kung Fu
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Instructor: Sujay Nair
Time: Fridays, 11am - 12pm
Dates: September 22nd - November 3rd
Location: Dillon Gym (GFR)Cost: $40
Discover your own transformative power, while practicing Celestial Mountain Style Kung Fu, in a unique program that seamlessly integrates the ancient wisdom of Chinese martial arts with modern mindfulness techniques to nurture both physical prowess and mental well-being. This 6-week course is designed for beginners seeking to embark on a path of self-discovery, self-regulation, and self-empowerment.
Join Si-Fu Nair, as he guides you through a holistic experience that combines the fluidity of Kung Fu movements with mindfulness practices. Learn to harness the energy within you, cultivate resilience in the face of challenges, and unlock your inner potential. Each class is a dynamic blend of physical activity, meditation, and self-reflection, providing a balanced approach to improving your overall quality of life. -
Mind-Full to Mindful *Now Starting 9/27
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Instructor: Ildy Meixner
Time: Wednesdays, 12pm
Dates: September 27th - November 8th
Location: Virtual (Zoom)Cost: $47 ($25 for students)
Discover 6 Underutilized Ways You Can Relieve Anxiety Right Now
Explore the life-changing path to inner tranquility and emotional freedom with our exclusive 6-week mindfulness course. If stress, anxiety, and sleepless nights have been holding you back, this transformative journey is your gateway to a brighter future. Through scientifically-proven practices and ildy’s guidance, you'll learn to embrace the present moment fully, letting go of worries and embracing emotional resilience.
Aim:
- Overcome challenges with confidence and a new, better perspective
- Create a better-balanced mindset
- Realize that challenges are opportunities to grow and change
- Discover mindfulness and other strategies to reduce anxiety, stress,
and depression to live healthier - To develop new healthier habits in the way of thinking and living
- To feel more fulfilled, relaxed, and joyous
- Enhance awareness, focus, cognitive function, and performance
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Pilates FUNdementals
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Instructor: Erika Gomez
Time: Thursdays, 5:30pm - 6:25pm
Dates: September 14th - October 12th
Location: Dillon Gym (MPR)Cost: $40
Are you curious about Pilates? Or interested in building a strong foundation for a successful, results-driven Pilates practice?
If so, then Pilates FUNdamentals is for you! In this 5 week course, we will explore the fundamental Mat exercises that are the foundation of the Pilates practice. This course will teach you to move better so that the benefits are felt in everyday life. Some of the benefits of a regular Pilates practice include a stronger core, better balance, improved posture, increased flexibility, and decreased stress. Pilates is truly for every body!
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Tai Chi 101
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Instructor: Yevgen Kashchenko
Time: Tuesdays, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Dates: September 26th - November 21st
Location: Dillon Gym (MPR)Cost: $40
Discover the ancient art of Tai Chi, uniting martial arts and meditation. It's an awareness training that helps you discover comfort and inner peace and the true power you could use to improve anywhere—be it self-defense or problem-solving.
Learn Chen-style Tai Chi with the help of physics understanding. -
Yoga Basics
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Instructor: Ruth Gatling
Time: Fridays, 12pm - 1pm
Dates: September 15th - October 13th
Location: Dillon Gym (MPR)Cost: $50 (free to students)
Are you interested in trying yoga but don't know where to begin? Yoga Basics is a five-week course that will touch upon many of the foundational postures and practices that you will encounter in yoga classes. Gain a foundation of proper alignment, modifications, and basic principles of yoga so you can move forward feeling comfortable and confident attending any yoga class.
Self Defense: Fall 2023
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Self Defense: Krav Maga
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Instructors: David Kahn ’94 & Molly Seltzer
Time: Sundays, 2-4pm
- October 1st
- October 8th
- November 12th
- November 19th
Location: Dillon Gym (GFR)
Cost: Free
Krav Maga is a no-nonsense, world-renowned danger detection and self-defense system. The course focuses on identifying potential dangers, escaping danger, and, if necessary, a few highly effective, adaptable self-defense tactics applicable to myriad situations. David Kahn '94 and Molly Seltzer will teach the course.
David has taught these tactics to the FBI, US Marshals, Secret Service, DEA, Federal Air Marshals, Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, Marine and Air Force Special Operations among others along with star NFL players. Course topics include:
· How to fall down safely (kinetic and non-kinetic situations)
· Awareness and recognizing pre-violence kinesic indicators
· Defending grabs
· Defending pushes
· Defending chokes
· Defending takedowns
· Defending the most typical punch attacks
The subject matter we cover will is featured in the book, Krav Maga Defense, by David Kahn (St. Martin's Press 2016).
Instructional Programs Schedule
Previous Instructional Program Offerings
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Yoga 201
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Instructor: Angela Quinn
Cost: $50 (free to students)
Yoga 201:
This eight week yoga course* builds off the knowledge and understanding of comprehensive yoga practice, as taught in Yoga 101. Designed for any practitioners who are interested in understanding yoga more in depth, more individualized attention and a steady, mindful pace of exporation of each asana (posture) and those practitioners who are ready to generally delve deeper into their yoga journey. Leave with a deeper understanding of yoga practice, asana, pranayama (breath awareness), meditation and yoga philosophy. This information will carry with the practitioner as they continue on their respective yoga journeys.It is recommended that you bring your own yoga mat. Limited mats are available. Course will have hybrid option.
*Princeton University Students are admitted for free, but MUST pre-register online.
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Group Fitness Instructor Development Program
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Instructor: Erika Liskovec
TBD - Spring 2023
Cost: Free (see below for certification details)
This program is designed to provide a foundation of knowledge for students to successfully teach group fitness classes. The focus will be two fold: how the human body works and presentation skills. Students will learn about anatomy, the mechanics of movement, muscle activation and sequencing of exercises. On the presentation side, students will have the opportunity to develop and refine instructing skills and learn the nuances of music playlists, technology for teaching and more.
This program entails six group meetings from 8:30-9:30am on Mondays (March 14th - April18th) and two additional one-on-one development meetings with the Coordinator of Recreational Programming or another mentor instructor. It will also require participants to attend/shadow group fitness classes they are interested in teaching.
This program is available to undergraduate and graduate students for free. It is encouraged that students obtain an instructor certification (ACE or class specific) within three months of the program's end date. if the student chooses to obtain certification, Campus Rec will:
- Reimburse 50% of the certification fee after becoming successfully certified.
- Reimburse the last 50% of the certification fee after the student has taught classes for Campus Rec for a full semester.
If you already have a certification and are interested in teaching group fitness classes, please email Erika to set up a meeting.
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Krav Maga 101
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Instructor: David Kahn
TBD
Cost: $40
This four-week introductory course will be taught by David Kahn '94. David has authored seven krav maga books and became a krav maga subject matter after completing law school. He has taught the Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, Marine Corps and Air Force Special Operations, FBI, Secret Service, and US Marshals and appeared in more than two dozen national publications. The course will focus on thwarting the most common types of unarmed aggression including pushes, grabs, punches, and takedowns. This training is designed for beginners and martial arts practitioners alike.
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Fundamentals of Running
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Instructor: Running Club
Cost: $40
Princeton Running Club's Fundamentals of Running program is designed to help new to intermediate-level runners dive further into the running world and learn how to improve fitness, develop lifelong healthy habits, and prevent injuries. Fundamentals of Running focuses on teaching participants everything they need to know to get started with running consistently. Topics such as running form and techniques, training periodization, goal setting, injury prevention and recovery, running gear, race preparation techniques, trail finding, and making running feel fun, will all be covered.
Throughout the course of the program, participants will learn from experienced runners from Princeton Running Club, and explore beautiful running areas around Princeton University. The program will build participants up for success in Princeton University's Tiger Trot 5K, which will be held on Friday, November 18th.
Registration is closed.
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Functional Fitness - Small Group Training
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Instructor: Erika Liskovec
Cost: $25 for students/$50 for staff
What is functional fitness? Think of movements and exercises that reflect how we live our lives - pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, reaching, etc. The idea behind functional fitness is to train movements such as these so that we can build muscles and movement patterns that will help us live more fully. So how do we do that? You can start here!
Classes will start with a warmup and instructional section on different strength movements. The second half of class will be a sweat-inducing workout that will be a new format each week, incorporating both new and familiar movements. You’ll walk away with not only some new skills but exercise options you can use in the gym.
Come prepared to move and workout.
Similar to: Bootcamp, CrossFit
Registration is closed.
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Yoga 101
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Instructor: Angela Quinn
Cost: $50 (free to students)
Intro to Yoga:
In this eight week yoga course*, students will learn the basics of yoga, including asanas (postures), breathing techniques (pranayama) and mindfulness meditation. Each class will build upon the prior week’s practice, so the course will be progressive in nature. Every student will leave with the knowledge and confidence to attend other yoga class offerings both on campus and beyond.It is recommended that you bring your own yoga mat. Limited mats are available.
*Princeton University Students are admitted for free, but MUST pre-register online.
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KO Boxing
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Instructor: Tony Stitt
A former amateur boxer, Tony Stitt, will teach you the technical skills of boxing such as jab, cross and hook.
Participants must provide their own boxing gloves. -
Intro to Strength Training
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Instructor: Erika Liskovec
If you've ever wanted to try lifting weights or simply get stronger, but don't know where to start, this is for you! In this five-week course, you'll build a foundation for strength training by learning the mechanics of movement, exercises to build muscle and definition, and the theory of strength programming.
Classes will be low intensity to focus on learning and understanding the techniques, and participants are encouraged to lift to their comfort level. Class breakdown is as follows:
Class 1: Introduction & Finding Baselines: Squat, Deadlift, Press
Class 2: Upper Body Movements
Class 3: Lower Body Movements
Class 4: Core Exercises
Class 5: Recap, Baselines and StrategizingThroughout this course, you will work with Erika to craft goals and build your own strength program specific to your needs so you'll have a framework to follow once the course concludes.
*Princeton University Students are admitted for free, but MUST pre-register online.
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Ballroom Dancing 101: Dancing with the Princeton Students
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Instructor: Ballroom Dance Club
Time: Wednesdays, 4:30 - 5:25pm
Dates: 3/22 - 4/26
Location: Dillon Gym (MPR)Cost: $35
For the first four classes, we will introduce a new style of ballroom dance to the group (Cha-cha, Jive, Waltz, and Tango), including the basic step and some fun moves to go along with the basic. Lessons will also include individual instruction between students and the members of Princeton Ballroom Dance Club. Dancers of all levels are welcome, whether you have never danced before or are an experienced dancer in a different style!
At the end of the program, dancers will have the opportunity to participate in Ballroom Dance Club’s spring show, Dancing with the Princeton Students, where they can show how much they’ve learned and have the chance to dance with members of the ballroom team! During the last week of class, students will have the opportunity to choose a style of dance they would like to perform and prepare for the show.
Register for an Instructional Program
If you are a non-student, you must have a Dillon Gym Membership in order to participate.
News & Announcements
Build your skills with courses designed to provide you with a foundation in Figure Skating, Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, Kung Fu, Boxing and more. Registration closes soon!