The RPAC offers several fun and unique fitness classes throughout the year, including Social Dance 1 and 2. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Lantern Photographer
In the basement of the RPAC, next to the golf driving bays, a group of about 30 students pair off to exercise, many wielding weighted, wooden swords.
Aaron Gall, the RPAC’s lead martial arts instructor, walks among the students, offering advice on stances, grips and footwork.
Gall created “The Way of the Saber” course, intertwining physical fitness with parts of martial arts, including Kendo, Chinese sword, Eskrima and European long sword. He said the class focuses on hand-to-hand combat skills influenced by movies such as the “Star Wars” series.
“That allows them to have their creativity at play, too,” Gall said. “I wanted them to have their own expression with it … giving them a space of, not so much of being put behind perimeters and barriers, but like, ‘How would you do this?’”
Gall said all of the spots in the class were filled almost immediately after students’ scheduling portals opened up.
There are more than 50 fitness courses offered during the school year through Ohio State’s Sport, Fitness and Health Program. Some of the other more popular courses available next semester include Yoga 1, Social Dance 1 and Social Dance 2. There’s also a new course, called Sit Better, Move More.
“Students are the whole reason we are here,” said Jae Westfall, the program director at SFHP. “They are our most valuable asset to the university, and we do what we can do to make the student experience as positive as possible.”
Westfall said she has dedicated almost 30 years to fitness and wellness at Ohio State.
“I have tangible evidence that our courses make a difference for students, extending far beyond just the activity that they learn,” Westfall said.
For students looking to get lost in the culture and art of performance, regardless of experience, the program has courses to fulfill that desire.
The health program’s website describes Social Dance 1 and 2 as the “perfect opportunity for students to learn rhythm and timing, body control and the cultural paradigms of each dance.”
“You will learn, step by step, how to Tango, Cha Cha, Waltz and so much more,” the program description states.
Tamara Rankin, a senior lecturer in the fitness program, said social dance means more than just exercise for some of her students.
“Seeing students meet here and building connections is what keeps me here,” Rankin said. “I’ve seen students meet here, stay together and get married … being paired with each other creates a space for them to bond with one another, creating life-time connections through new experiences, as many of the students who come into social dance have no experience with it and end up loving it.”
Sit Better, Move Better is an up-and-coming course that will be offered in Autumn 2026, instructed by Beaker Prince, a lecturer who has been with the program since 2002.
“[The program is focused on] improving and being able to do what we do with more freedom and ease, following this framework to find better ways to sit with more enjoyment and awareness with posture [and] to organize your space so it’s working with you, not against you,” Prince said.
Prince said the course is intended to showcase how important movement is and the dangers of a sedentary life. Its coursework focuses on helping students learn the guidelines for enjoyment in movement and inspiring them to find more of it in activities.
Prince also teaches Yoga 1, which he said has been offered for decades.
The program educates students on “uniting body, mind, and breath through postures, meditation, and breathing techniques,” and offers “experience improving flexibility, strength, mental well-being, and stress reduction.”
“We really focus on understanding your body and understanding the principles behind the poses … whether that’s compassion and extending that to yourself, pausing [and] not letting life overtake you [or] focusing on being more alive in the present moment,” Prince said.
In The Way of the Saber, the students show a clear display of a tight-knit community. Gall said that’s another goal of the class.
“They are there to share knowledge with each other, be respectful, make sure they are being respected and build community, those three tenants have to be the core of everything I’m doing,” Gall said.
Not only are the relationships between the students strong, but so are their relationships with the instructor.
“I love the relationships I get to build with students; that’s my favorite thing,” Gall said. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my students.”
Registration for the Autumn semester is now continuously open for Ohio State students. Check Buckeye Link for more information on enrollment.
