Some people wish they could take on a new and interesting hobby, like hiking, skating or weight lifting, but some lack the knowledge for beginning any of these activities.

Often these people are forced to put their dreams on the backburner for a while. But students at The University of Southern Mississippi do not have to.

The School of Human Performance and Recreation offers more than 30 activity courses, which are available to all students regardless of their majors. These HPR classes include karate, social dance, fencing, tennis, pioneering and much more. Only a handful of these classes require fees, but the benefits of taking these courses can be quite substantial.

“(These classes) set the basis for understanding fitness, whether you’re getting into exercise or not,” said Abigail Elias, an instructor within the School of Human Performance and Recreation. “(They) give you the facts about how to become healthy instead of just watching infomercials about it,” she said.

Elias, a graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, is a well-qualified instructor of the aerobics and weight training HPR classes. She is also the fitness and wellness coordinator for Southern Miss Recreational Sports.

“The common knowledge out there about fitness is so minimal so it’s good to know that kind of stuff now, rather than realize in your 40s or 50s that you need a workout plan and you don’t know where to start,” Elias said.

According to the School of Human Performance and Recreation’s section of the university website, the school takes great pride in providing quality education that is supplemented by a great deal of hands-on experience. Students who enroll in activity courses will not just learn the material but will also have the chance to put that knowledge into practice.

Devin Mitchell, a 24-year-old psychology major, is in Elias’ weight training course this semester and said he has learned many indispensable facts in her class.

“(Elias) has been a great instructor,” Mitchell said. “She’s helped me by just cleaning up my form while doing various weight lifting motions. She also has shown my class and (me) new activities we can do to further our workouts, and these are skills I feel we’ll hold onto after the class is over.”

As a facility and intramural sports supervisor, Mitchell decided to take the weight training HPR class because he needed two elective hours. “I’m actually taking a bowling class for the (next) eight weeks in the semester, once again because of needing those two hours, and so I can get better at that to beat a few people (in bowling),” he said.

Enrolling in any of these fun, diverse classes is simple. Students who wish to take an HPR activity course can simply add it to their shopping carts on SOAR like they would any other course.

From scuba diving to golf, these courses promise to both be great for academics and excellent for self-development. Who knows? Perhaps students will discover an entirely new interest they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

HUMAN PERFORMANCE AND RECREATION (HPR)

ACTIVITY COURSES

100. Aerobics. 1 hr. Theoretical bases and laboratory experiences in rhythmical activities for cardiovascular development

101. Weight Training. 1 hr. Theoretical bases and laboratory experiences in development of muscular strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance

102. Fitness Walking. 1 hr. Theoretical bases and laboratory experiences in the development of cardiovascular fitness through walking techniques

+103. Recreational SCUBA. 2 hrs. Diving skill/knowledge instruction for individuals wishing to be certified to dive recreationally

105. Concepts in Physical Fitness. 1 hr. The course is designed to develop understanding in the conceptual knowledge of health and fitness in the development and maintenance of human wellness (CC 1591, 1592)

106. Adventure Training. 2 hrs. To develop student proficiency in land and water navigation, outdoor skills and cooperative problem solving

+109. First Aid. 2 hrs. Basic First Aid, Infant, Child and Adult CPR as approved by the American Red Cross; meets O.S.H.A. minimum requirements

119. Beginning Volleyball. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experience in development of fundamental volleyball skill techniques and game strategies

130. Racquetball. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experience in development of fundamental racquetball skill techniques and game strategies

131. Fencing. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experience in development of fundamental fencing skill techniques and competitive strategies

+134. Beginning Golf. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experience in development of fundamental golf skill techniques and competitive strategies

135. Beginning Yoga. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experience in development of strength and flexibility through yoga exercise

+136. Bowling. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experience in development of fundamental bowling skill techniques and competitive strategies

137. Intermediate Golf. 1 hr. Golf techniques and game strategies for the more experienced player

140. Bicycling. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experience in development of skill techniques and training in bicycling

141. Beginning Tennis. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experience in development of fundamental tennis skill techniques and competitive strategies

142. Intermediate Tennis. 1 hr. Tennis techniques and development of game strategies for the more experienced player

143. In-Line Skating. 1 hr. Introduction to in-line skating with an emphasis on basic skating technique and safe participation

146. Developmental Skills. 1 hr. Human performance, coaching and sport administration, or recreation majors or minors only; activities include golf, softball and volleyball

147. Developmental Skills. 1 hr. Human performance, coaching and sport administration, or recreation majors or minors only; activities include badminton, basketball and soccer

148. Developmental Skills. 1 hr. Human performance, coaching and sport administration, or recreation majors or minors only; activities include aerobic conditioning, weight training and lead-up games

+160. Beginning Swimming. 1 hr. Theoretical bases and laboratory experiences in fundamental swimming techniques and assistive rescue skills

163. Aquatic Aerobics. 1 hr. Theoretical bases and laboratory experiences in physical conditioning techniques in the aquatic environment

+164. Lifeguard Training. 3 hrs. Lifeguard techniques for pool, beach, waterfront. ARC Lifeguard Training Certification

+165. Lifeguard Training Instructor. 2 hrs. Corequisite: HPR 164 or instructor approval. Teaching lifeguard techniques. ARC Lifeguard Training Instructor Certification

170. Beginning Karate. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experiences in development of fundamental karate/self defense skill techniques

175. Intermediate Karate. 1 hr. Prerequisite: HPR 170 or permission of instructor. Advanced self-defense techniques and development of basic Karate competition strategies

181. Beginning Social Dance. 1 hr. Basic rhytmical concepts of social dance introduced. Emphasis on development of popular ballroom techniques

183. Pioneering. 1 hr. Orienteering and conservation skills in a recreational outdoor environment

+184. Canoeing. 1 hr. Theoretical concepts and laboratory experience in development of fundamental canoeing techniques. Boat trip safety emphasized

185. Family Camping. 1 hr. Outdoor camping skills

194. Group Exercise Instructor Preparation. 3 hrs. Course will prepare individuals to lead and conduct group exercise programs in aerobics and cardio fitness activities

The + symbol denotes that this course requires a fee.