Tech’s Fitness Center experiences an overall increase in visitors in January thanks to New Year’s resolutions.
“We see a big rush of people in the beginning of fall too, but there’s kind of a difference in what you see them do,” Kristin Morgan, senior sociology major and Fitness Center student staff, said.
The beginning of the fall semester is typically busy with freshman using the courts for games. Once January starts, the Fitness Center becomes busy with mostly alumni and men using the weight room and track, Morgan said.
“As students come back, it is easy to tell who the regulars are and who had a resolution to better their health or exercise in general. It usually slows down one to two weeks into the semester and I think it’s because of ‘gymtimidation,’” second-round sophomore nursing major Rad Cuebas said. “Many fellow gym goers look at resolutioners as a nuisance, and this deters people from sticking around.”
Some students agreed that keeping up with resolutions is difficult for many reasons, but making a habit of going to the gym helps them stick with their health goals.
Alumni create the most rises in memberships in January.
“I’m working on going six times a week and focusing on lifting-chest, arms, back and legs,” senior nursing major Emily Plattner said. “But I go to the gym about four times a week and then run.”
Senior nursing major Anna Beth Harnsberger’s goal is to do more weight lifting and run a half-marathon in the fall. She does weight lifting three times a week and runs twice a week for her training.
From Jan. 1 to Feb. 5, there were twice as many males than females that went to the Fit.
“We’re trying to find more ways to bring women in,” Fitness Center Administrative Associate Audrey Cody said.
The Fitness Center offers workout classes ranging from Aqua Dance and High Intensity Interval Training to Bend, a mix of gymnastics, yoga and ballet to give students and members more variety.
In January, the most popular class was Vinyasa Flow Yoga, followed by High-Burn HIIT and then Dance HIIT. However, class participation has generally declined since Jan. 1.
The spring semester hours are 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m.-8 p.m. on Fridays; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 1-10 p.m. on Sunday. The Fitness Center is located at 1150 McGee Blvd. in Cookeville.
