Whether it’s outdoors or indoors, in a group or by yourself, twice a week or once in the whole season, summer is the time to get some exercise and enjoy life — before things get busy and cold again in the fall.

If you are a team player that is ready to put aside a couple of hours a week to have fun, intramurals at the Physical Activity Centre are for you. From the end of May to late July, you can be part of a team that meets weekly and competes against other groups.

The sports offered during summer are slo-pitch, soccer and spikeball, and all skill levels are welcome. There is a $50 fee per team, and the registration deadline is May 23. Get your friends together to form a team, or register by yourself and meet new people — either way, it’s sure to be a good time.

Joining a Campus Rec team can be a great way to spend your summer downtime.

Another option is PlaySask, a business that sets up recreational sports leagues. Same as intramurals, you can join on your own or with a team, and lack of skill is no problem — the main goal is to have fun. Their registration fee is higher than Campus Rec’s at around $100, but you also get a longer season from May 13 until mid-August.

PlaySask offers beach dodgeball and outdoor soccer leagues, so it’s a good way to enjoy the summer sun. Registration for the spring-and-summer season is open on their website.

If you don’t want the commitment of intramurals and are seeking out a less structured way to get back into the healthy lifestyle that you so completely abandoned during exam season, fitness classes are for you. From yoga to spin to zumba, the PAC’s Fit Centre offers 21 types of classes a week during the summer in over 30 time slots, so you are sure to find something interesting to fill that one-hour break in your schedule.

For most students, which includes anyone who pays rec fees, the classes are cost free — all you have to do is register online up to two days in advance or get there a little early and hope the ten drop-in spots available for each class haven’t been claimed yet.

The Saskatoon Field House is also an option. Located just a 10-minute walk away from the University of Saskatchewan campus, this leisure centre offers drop-in programs that are very similar to the Fit Centre classes but a little more varied in content. They offer sport and fitness classes in various time slots.

Unlike the fitness classes, though, the Field House has a daily admission cost of $9.80, but it’s still good to keep it in mind for when the Fit Centre’s schedule doesn’t work for you or you want to try out something different. You can check out their daily schedules and register through their website.

If you are more into working out by yourself, the Fit Centre also has options for you. This year, the climbing wall and the main entrance will be closed in May due to renovations, but the Fit Studio will remain open and free of cost to students. You can drop by to use the exercise equipment from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

With your university classes momentarily out of the way, summer is the season to put some time into the activities you were too busy for during the academic year. There’s no better time to construct a healthier lifestyle that will carry you through your stress once fall rolls around, so do your future self a favor and fit some exercise into your schedule now.

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Ana Cristina Camacho / Staff Writer

Photo: Heywood Yu