ACTIVE BADGER DAY

We want to see how YOU’RE celebrating Active Badger Day!

Share how you’re playing hard, getting fit, and living well using #ActiveBadger and you’ll be entered to win prizes, including a $25 gift card to Ian’s Pizza and Active Badger Day swag.

Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @uwrecwell.

Whether you want to start your day with an energizing HIIT workout or end it with a fun Zumba class, all group fitness classes are free today.

Virtual classes are offered via Zoom. In-person classes are at the Nicholas Recreation Center. You must sign up before class on services.recwell.wisc.edu. Registration opens 48 hours in advance.

All in-person group fitness participants will go home with a Free Salad Card from Ian’s Pizza.

As a proud Special Olympics partner and National Unified Champion School, we encourage you to make a pledge as part of the Spread the Word campaign. How will you spread inclusion?

Make your pledge

All you have to do is swim (or row), bike, or run during the day and submit your times. We’ll take all the entries and randomly select participants to win intramural sports champ shirts. You’ll receive one entry with each activity you complete. It’s that easy. Please remember, you must make a reservation to swim in the pool; reservations open two days in advance.

If you can’t get enough of the virtual triathlon, sign up for our intramural triathlon, starting March 8!

We’ve partnered with University Housing to offer Active Badger-approved meals at various University Housing dining locations: Four Lakes, Gordon Avenue Market, Liz’s Market, and Rheta’s. Please note, all University Housing locations are only open to University Housing residents and staff. 

Breakfast: Avocado Toast, Sweet Potato Pancakes, Mahnomin Porridge
Lunch: Green Dragon Grain Bowls Station, Mediterranean Cod, Baked Sweet Potato
Dinner: Curry Stew, Ancient Grains and Kale Blend, Ginger Glazed Salmon, Swiss Chard, Roasted Root Vegetables
Menu is subject to change.

Pre-registration is required and spots are limited. 

Britney, Gaga, Ariana. Ride along to the sound of these and other iconic female pop artists in this 45-minute class.

Connect with your breath and kick off the day with a live meditation guided by Scott Anderson from the Center for Healthy Minds. All levels welcome.

Whether you swim for exercise or competition, efficient flip turns are key. In this 30-minute clinic, our trained instructors will teach you how to increase your speed and improve your transition between laps.

Whether you swim for exercise or competition, efficient flip turns are key. In this 30-minute clinic, our trained instructors will teach you how to increase your speed and improve your transition between laps.

Wellness coaching is centered around the seven aspects of wellbeing: healthy, safety, meaning, connection, growth, achievement, and resiliency. Its guiding philosophy is that each person is their own wellbeing expert; when coached, they will find answers within themselves.

During this session, we’ll talk about our peer wellness coaching program as a whole and introduce ways you can get involved – as a coach and participant!

Pre-registration is required and spots are limited. 

You Need To Calm Down. We can help. Connect to your breath and move your body while Taylor Swift instrumentals spin in the background of this 45-minute class.

Join our personal trainers on Instagram Live (@uwrecwell) for a session on how to tailor your workouts to fit with your goals. Increasing your cardio fitness or getting stronger can sound good, but are they specific enough? Learn to make fitness goals and stick with them to see their results.

Join our Youth Programs team as they walk through how to build your own board game! All you need is cardboard (you can use any flat cardboard) or paper and decoration supplies like markers or crayons. Open to children and families of any age. Due to UW-Madison policies, we do ask that a grown up is around for this activity.

Pre-registration is required and spots are limited. 

The Nick can’t even handle me now. We’ll be ridin’ solo—masked up and six feet apart—to the Super Bass and OMG hits of 2010.

Join us for a pop-up group lesson designed for anyone interested in the sport of tennis. Whether you’ve never touched a racquet before or it’s been awhile since you last played, this hour-long lesson will get you moving and having fun.

Pre-registration is required and spots are limited. 

We’re throwing it back to the best songs of 2008 for this rhythm-based cycling class.

We know self-care is more than bubble baths and face masks. But what does it mean to UW-Madison students? During this panel discussion, students will discuss what it means to them and how they practice it on campus.

Meet the Panel:

Brittany W.

• I am currently a second-year student studying Business Management & Human Resources: Entrepreneurship and Sports Communication.I am actively involved in spaces on campus such as working as a Fitness Monitor at the Nick and being a Co-President of Queen In You, UW-Madison Chapter. Additionally, I am very passionate about cooking, spending quality time with family and friends, and being an Active Badger!

Mars M.

• Mars (she/they) is currently in Madison for their Master of Library and Information Science degree. They graduated from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Individualized Studies and worked at the GSCC equivalent on campus (QSCC) before moving back to Wisconsin. In their work and their personal life, they focus on representation, diversity, queer and trans experiences, and experiences of people of color.

Matthew B. (Moderator) 

• I am a fourth-year student from the northern suburbs of Chicago studying Civil Engineering and Construction Management. I have been working for Rec Well since my first semester on campus and currently serve as a Facility Supervisor at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium, which I affectionately refer to as the “Hidden Gem of Campus” for its family-like staff and unique sense of community. I am involved on campus in many ways and spend my time serving on the Student Recreational Leadership Council, representing clubs as the VP of the Sport Club Executive Board, staying active as the President of the Club Squash Team, and slinging pasta as the Cooking Chairman of the Italian Club!

Lorence A.

• A native from the Philippines and a junior at UW-Madison pursuing Consumer Behavior and Marketplace studies, Lorence was an infantry Marine and an instructor at the Officer Candidate School. Lorence enjoys his time with the sport of climbing, a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and traveling with friends.

Reichen (Ryan) X.

• Hi! My name is Reichen, you can call me RC. I am from China, currently a sophomore in the College of Letters & Science, and a student employee in International Student Services. In my spare time, I am passionate about eating, sleeping, and outdoor.

Join our personal trainers on Instagram Live (@uwrecwell) for a session about the ins and outs of Olympic weightlifting. You’ll learn about the sport, its basic lifts, why you should train it, typical equipment, and how to lift safely.

If you want more, keep an eye out for our Introduction to Olympic Weightlifting class, which will open later this spring.

We’re hiring group fitness instructors this spring! Learn more and apply here.

Three of our current instructors will be available to answer all your questions about the tryout process, what it takes to be successful, and why they love working for Rec Well. Feel free to drop in to the session whenever you can.

We’re excited to partner with Outdoor UW for this socially restorative night hike. If conditions allow and are appropriate, we’ll strap up snowshoes and head towards Picnic Point across frozen Lake Mendota. If not, we’ll stay on land and hike down UW’s Lakeshore Path. Spots are limited and pre-registration is required. 

This hike is all about getting outside, connecting, and staying active! Registrants will be asked to wear a mask and socially distance, pending any changes by UW-Madison to campus programming guidelines. Snowshoe outfitting will be demonstrated, but participants will not be individually assisted in close proximity.

Pre-registration is required and spots are limited. 

End your day with a calming and grounding powerflow class by candlelight.

Join us for a pop-up group lesson designed for anyone interested in the sport of tennis. Whether you’ve never touched a racquet before or it’s been awhile since you last played, this hour-long lesson will get you moving and having fun.

Pre-registration is required and spots are limited. 

A fusion of yoga, Pilates, strength training, and ballet paired with all the songs you loved to play on your iPod Mini.