Where Should You Go Work Out?

By: Poppy Yang, 1st Year – Health Policy and Management 

Congratulations on your acceptance into the Rollins School of Public Health and welcome to our big family! Besides the vast amount of awesome food options in Atlanta, you may wonder where can exercise so that you could stay fit and live a healthy lifestyle. Lucky for you there are many choices from group fitness classes, yoga classes, and many other options that are close to Emory!

Emory Group Fitness Class and Personal Training Classes

The Emory Fitness Program offers a variety of non-credit fitness classes held at the Woodruff P.E. Center (WPEC). All participants must purchase a class card and sign a waiver at the membership office located on the main (2nd) floor of the WPEC before attending any group fitness classes. I bought the Group Fitness Class for $25 and the regular price is $30 for the entire semester. You can get the pass for $25 during the first week of each semester. Classes are offered daily except Sundays, and the pass gives you access to any of the classes.

The WPEC is about 10-minute walk from Rollins. I’ve tried the Yoga and the Hip Hops classes. The instructors were nice and approachable.

Free Yoga Classes Provided at Rollins

            EMHA (Emory Mental Health Alliance) offers free yoga classes for students and staff. You can find more information about it in the elevator and the weekly school events email. For this spring semester, the free classes are offered every Monday from 12-1pm.

Fitness Classes at Emory Point

As of now, Emory Point has three fitness locations including Empower Yoga, Orangetheory Fitness, and Pink Barre. These three locations are about 5-10 minutes walk from Rollins. Empower Yoga offers 15% off for packages/memberships to school staffs, students, and CDC employees. Orangetheory offers high energy, coach-led group workouts. Pink Barre is a boutique fitness company with inviting studios, premium retail, and personalized classes & strong community for women. At the beginning of the semester, Pick Barre would come to Rollins for tabling and they offer one free class for Rollins students. You can find more details about these classes on their websites!

Green Exercise (Lullwater Park and Stone Mountain)

 Lullwater Park is a beautiful national reserve that offers many scenic walking and running trail loops nestled within Emory University’s North Decatur campus in Atlanta. The park is 5-minute walk down Clifton Road with an entrance between Gatewood Road and Haygood Drive. The Lullwater Trail passes the Lullwater House mansion, skirts Candler Lake and crosses a span bridge to explore an abandoned mill beside a tumbling spillway waterfall in a beautiful, wildlife-rich forest. Parking is not available at the Lullwater Park Trailhead, but you could park on Campus. There are 2-4 mile dog-friendly trails (dog must be leashed). Don’t miss your chance to run into friends and professors!

Stone Mountain is about 30-minute drive from Emory. The hike is about 1 mile to the top of the mountain from the Confederate Hall Historical & Environmental Education Center. Different trails are available from 1 mile to 5 miles. The view is amazing once you reach the top, and it will be a great workout!