Students eager to jumpstart their workout routine this semester might have wanted to take Zumba or Bootcamp, but reconsidered after seeing the $50 fee.

The Rec Center and Rec Plex need to implement an all-access group fitness pass to make fitness classes more accessible to all students.

Shannon Bustillos, assistant director of the Department of Recreational Sports, said the cost per class covers the instructors’ payroll and some facility fees. But there must be another alternative to bring in revenue.

The creation of a group fitness program card requiring a one-time activation fee per school year would let students attend any fitness classes they choose.

Suppose this card cost $20, and would allow students to attend Zumba on Mondays, Spin on Tuesdays, and Boot Camp on Thursdays every week.

The $20 fee for an all-access group fitness card is more plausible for students than spending $50 on a single class.

Although the Rec would lose $30 per student with the new system, the lower cost would be an incentive for more students to purchase a $20 all-access card.

A group fitness card might also pose an overload of students with not enough instructors and classes to accommodate everyone.

But if the Rec Center and Rec Plex keep with their variety of class times and limit the number of all-access cards available, there will be few logistical problems.

Bustillos argues that the $50 monetary commitment ensures students will go to the classes they pay for, yet this isn’t always the case.

Sometimes a mandatory meeting pops up or a midterm exam requires additional study time, and the fitness class gets pushed aside.

Students cannot make up missed sessions even though they paid for it.

The ability to pick and choose classes would give students more flexibility and prevent them from wasting money on classes they realize they can’t attend.

Along with flexible class schedules, the all-access pass program would advocate health and wellness at an affordable price.

The Rec Center and Rec Plex need to implement a group fitness pass program because $50 won’t attract more students to fitness classes. It only perpetuates the idea that group classes are overpriced.