Michigan State students scramble the moment a new Reformer Pilates session opens for registration, racing to secure a spot in the class. It’s Ticketmaster-level chaos, minus the Taylor Swift ticket price tag. One wrongly timed page refresh could mean walking away empty-handed.
But these students aren't battling for tens of thousands of tickets to a sold-out stadium show. They're competing for one of just 16 spots in a free class at MSU's new Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Spots open exactly 48 hours before each session and often vanish within seconds.
All 57 Reformer Pilates classes held through Sept. 25, including both the regular and beginner sessions, had been waitlisted, with the waitlist extended to as many as 41 people. Even classes starting as early as 6:15 a.m. on Fridays have waitlists as high as 24 people.
Ellie Wolfe, a senior advertising management major, has been lucky to both win and lose the competition during the early school year.
“My sister and I were trying to get into one class at 7 p.m. on a Thursday, so I did it at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday, and we both clicked the register button. I was already logged into my MSU account and everything. Not even kidding you. Like 20 seconds after, it was full,” Wolfe said.
She attributes the intense competition to a simple factor: the cost.
"I think it is just because a Reformer class outside of MSU is like $25 a class," Wolfe said. "It's really cool that they do have that as an option. It's just, there's how many people in this school? There's only 16 spots, so it's a little crazy."
MSU's new rec center opened April 15, a little over two weeks before the spring semester ended, so this fall marks the first full semester of group exercise programming in the new space. The building's specialized spaces expanded to group fitness offerings like Pilates, yoga, strength-based classes, cycling and other experiences, all free for students.
Reformer Pilates is the clearest example of that expansion, as the older IM buildings weren't equipped to offer the class. Now, a room is exclusively used for those classes, filled with sliding, spring-loaded machines called Reformers that add resistance to Pilates movements.
"IM West, IM East, and IM Circle served our campus community for many years, but we were often programming within spaces that were not originally designed for the variety of fitness experiences students are looking for today," said Dr. Bianca Guess, the director of Fitness & Wellness Programming. "We now have an environment that allows us to continue evolving our programs based on student interests and emerging fitness and wellness trends."
That flexibility could translate into real changes. A class that consistently fills and maintains a waitlist could factor into the decision to add more sections.
“Our schedule is intentionally responsive. We look at participation, waitlists, time of day, instructor availability, and student feedback to determine where additional sessions make sense,” Guess said. "As we collect more participation data in the new facility, we'll continue adjusting the schedule."
Reformer Pilates has drawn the largest waitlists, but other classes are consistently filling too.
Pilates Sculpt has been waitlisted for 27 of its 31 classes as of Sept. 25. Four of Yoga Sculpt’s six sessions so far have also filled up, along with seven of Power Yoga’s 11 classes.
But not every class is overwhelmed by demand. While Reformer Pilates can't keep up, cycling faces a different situation.
MSU’s Recreational Sports and Fitness Services website listed 10 types of cycling classes as of Sept. 25, only two of which had scheduled sessions at that time. That's despite the new rec center being a major upgrade for cycling, with a dedicated room holding 50 bikes, compared to 37 at IM West (now closed) and 23 at IM East.
The obvious assumption might be understaffing, but that isn't the case, according to Guess.
"Our group fitness schedule changes throughout the semester based on the academic calendar, instructor availability, programming periods, special events, and student demand," she said. "There may also be formats listed in the system that are not being offered during a particular scheduling period."
Early in the first semester of group exercise classes at the new rec center, it’s clear that nothing is set in stone. Luckily for students, their participation will help shape what the schedule looks like throughout the year.
"I'm particularly excited about our ability to listen to students and let their participation and feedback help shape what comes next," Guess said. "The building gives us the infrastructure, but ultimately, the students will help determine how the programming continues to grow."