JANIS RIISE 

Fit Centre employees are here to help you keep fit and have have fun.

There are positive physical and psychological implications to working out, and the gym on campus provides students a great way to learn about and participate in multiple forms of exercise.

Some students are comfortable signing up for their favorite cardio equipment, taking a yoga class or heading into the weightlifting areas, but others are unsure what to do or how to interact in a gym setting. This is why the Fit Centre is staffed with friendly students who are there to help answer any questions students may have.

Huskies men’s basketball player Matt Forbes is one of the many student workers at the Fit Centre. Forbes says he enjoys interacting with the diverse group of people that comes through the Fit Centre.

Matt has tried several of the fitness classes on offer and recommends them to everyone. They are “extremely fun,” Forbes said. “The instructors are accepting of the different abilities people have and they teach to that.”

Yoga, Zumba, step, spin and other classes are all free for full-time students.

Inside the Fit Centre, friendly and qualified kinesiology students use what they are learning in class to help those with fitness-related questions. They are available to demonstrate stretches and exercise technique, watch you to make sure you’re safe when lifting weights and offer advice on what exercises best fit your fitness goals.

It is also their job to maintain and clean the equipment in the gym, meaning they are not always by their desk. Jennifer Jochim, a kinesiology student and personal trainer at the Physical Activity Complex which houses the Fit Centre, says students should never feel like they are interrupting the staff.

Jochim prefers to share her knowledge with other students rather than spend her entire shift cleaning.

“It is more enjoyable when people utilize our knowledge, otherwise we just do maintenance,” said Jochim, who suggests students ask for a tour of the Fit Centre facilities in order to feel more comfortable in the gym. “We are here to help all the time.”

Weight lifting, cardio machines or fitness classes may not suit all students, but there are other ways of being active at the PAC. Students can use the climbing wall, running track, swimming pool or squash and racquetball courts.

Of course, students can always sign up to play on Campus Rec sports teams, get information on the university’s School of Dance or join the Physical Activity for Active Living program — a program for individuals with intellectual and physical impairments. And if you prefer to stick with the tried and true forms of exercise, consider joining the U of S triathlon club.

Kinesiology student and Huskies cross-country athlete Amanda Regnier is a trainer for the Triathlon Club. She says the club is not just for serious triathlon athletes.

“Workouts are tailored to individual ability,” Regnier said. “If you want to be competitive you can, but it can be done for fun fitness or to cross train too.”

Cross-training is when an athlete trains in a sport other than the one he or she competes in. The goal of cross-training is to address certain fitness areas that might be neglected while training for a specific sport.

Full-time students have access to the PAC from the beginning of September until the end of August, and with all the resources available to students there is no excuse for not exercising.

—
Photo: Jordan Dumba