“If it were easy, everyone would be here!” Mat Pilates instructor Sydney DiBiase cheers on her students as they complete challenging circuits. She has garnered a loyal following during her three years working at RecSports; the registration for her Tuesday and Thursday morning classes fills up within minutes. Throughout the hour-long class, she incorporates fluid movements that target the entire body, focusing mainly on the core and glutes. To ensure that people with varying experience feel welcome, she offers modifications or amplifications for each exercise.
“Sydney is always cheerful and encouraging when she’s teaching,” Kate Been, a freshman finance major, said. “She brings such a light into the room and motivates her classes to become better versions of themselves.”
DiBiase discovered a passion for fitness during the beginning of her freshman year, when she attended RecSports classes including Total Body, Studio Cycle and Hip Hop Cardio with friends. She recalled taking advantage of the free student membership to “learn how to do everything.” She enjoyed the classes and applied to join the group fitness instructor training course that November. “What’s the worst that could happen?” she recalled asking herself. Her brief experience in the classes paid off, and later that year, she was chosen to begin the training course, which would impact more than just her fitness journey.
DiBiase is grateful for her mentor in the program, Michelle Cuppy: “She became my mentor outside of the training course, too; she convinced me to change my major and wrote me a letter of recommendation for a scholarship.” Cuppy’s guidance also assisted DiBiase in securing a position as a Hip Hop Cardio instructor her sophomore year, and she later became certified to teach at Pilates and Pilates Fusion.
“Teaching the classes was a great way to get involved early on and work my way up.” She explained how she later became a program assistant for the Group Fitness Division, which she now oversees.
DiBiase emphasized the importance of control in Mat Pilates. She explained, for the best results, it’s essential (but often difficult) to “engage the right muscles throughout.” She incorporates plank exercises throughout her classes, periodically reminding students to engage their core, keep their backs flat and tuck their hips.
“Sydney’s classes are challenging, but she’s very supportive and always says words of encouragement throughout to keep us going. I always leave feeling a little better about myself,” freshman health science major Keira Delamere said.
Originally from Fort Myers, DiBiase enjoys walking on the beach while listening to music or podcasts. She is currently a senior studying business administration with a minor in wealth management. As she prepares to graduate, she advises younger students to “get involved in any way that you can. It can be easier than you think.” She never imagined she would become a group fitness instructor, but by stepping out of her comfort zone, she has formed new relationships, gained leadership skills and invaluable experience.