If you spent too much time relaxing on the beach, or if you were stuck in an office with little -to-no exercise this summer, it’s time to work off the sluggishness of summer with a visit to the Lyon Center.

Fitness haven · The intramural sports, exercise classes and recreational facilities offered at the Lyon Center give students options for staying fit. – Ralf Cheung | Daily Trojan

The Lyon Center, University Park Campus’ recreation facility, will begin regular semester hours on Aug. 25. The center will kick off the school year with its annual open house, featuring recreational sports information sessions, intramural challenges and facility tours. Representatives from club sports will also be around to answer questions.

During the first two weeks of the semester, all fitness classes are free to students, staff and faculty that present an ID upon arrival to the facility. Take advantage of the opportunity: The Lyon Center has spent the summer preparing for the busy fall semester.

Among the new offerings in an already wide variety of fitness classes is the Les Mills Body Pump group fitness class, one hour of muscle strengthening through barbells and choreography. Another class, the Barre Blast, fuses the popular and ballet-inspired barre method with weights for toning and core work.

Also new for the fall semester is Stay Fit Panhellenic, a council offering group exercise classes on The Row as well as programming in student residence halls.

Favorite classes from previous years will also be returning. For the especially fit and determined, the Nike Training Club offers high-intensity interval workouts that work on muscle-strengthening, endurance and agility.

Not only does the Lyon Center offer fitness classes, it also offers some unique classes that help you better manage your day to day life. Among them is “Life Without a Car” which, as the name suggests, presents information and tips on how to navigate Southern California without a car.

Looking further ahead, there are plenty of exciting fitness-related events planned for non-students as well.

During Trojan Family Weekend, the Lyon Center will offer parents free access to the gym and group exercise classes. From Oct. 18-21, parents of USC students will get a glimpse into the numerous recreational facilities and activities available at the Lyon Center, among other events taking place during the weekend.

The following week will host the  Pac-12 Facebook Challenge, which  will feature an array of activities, including fitness challenges, introductory classes, a fun run and intramural sports. Participants will have the opportunity to log their challenge minutes on Facebook and to earn badges that they can post to their Facebook pages.  The objective of the tournament is to see which Pac-12 school can log the most minutes.

During the entire Pac-12 challenge, students, faculty and staff will have free access to the Lyon Center as well as the Health Sciences Campus Fitness Center — along with all group exercise classes  at both facilities.

The upcoming semester will prove to be an exciting and busy time for the Lyon Center with a range of activities for getting involved — from fitness classes to intramural sports. The aspiring fitness buff or athlete need not look any further than the Lyon Center, which offers classes that will satisfy a variety of interests, numerous sports options and a fitness challenge in mid-semester that will provide an opportunity for everyone to get engaged and excited. Even the workout-averse could find an enjoyable way to burn calories here.