Feb. 25, 2015

By Alena Purpero

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]itness – we all wish it was easy. Don’t we? Or do some of us almost grasp on to any excuse we can get a hold of to justify why we aren’t working out when we should?

Don’t get me wrong, there are some valid reasons as to why you sometimes can’t catch a time to hit the gym or do any sort of work out. But there is one excuse that is commonly used among people, and I’m going to snatch it right from you.

It’s for your own good, really. It’ll broaden your horizon as to what a workout can be. Without further adieu, if you are one to say that a membership, equipment and overall access to a healthy lifestyle is expensive, I’m sorry but that card won’t work for you anymore.

It’s especially invalid here on campus where there are plenty of resources provided by Warhawk Fitness and Recreation Sports facilities.

If you do not have a membership but are looking to get active, you can combine your social life with exercise just as you would if you went with a friend to the gym. Go to the equipment desk in the Williams Center, and check out whatever you’ll need to play your desired sport. Some fun ideas include checking out equipment for badminton, basketball or racquetball. So grab a friend, or even a group of friends, and make it a fun and competitive activity.

This next one you can do right at home or in the Residence Halls. This method of exercise consists of endless possibilities and variations. What you want to accomplish is simply a click away. That’s right, I am recommending to use YouTube as your own exercise program. There have been times when either I’m short on time or don’t want to take the cold commute over to the gym. So I work out at the Residence Halls by simply grabbing my laptop, heading over to the lounge or basement and doing a workout video. These workouts can be anything from muscle training to cardio. You can look up resistance strength training, stretching and yoga to focus on muscle building. If you are looking for cardio, look up some Zumba dance videos, insanity or custom made cardio workouts by fitness gurus.

Don’t think you can get a good workout with sports or at home? Head over to the track at the Williams Center and do some laps. Whether you’re power walking with a friend while talking or running for records on your own, the track is a great resource here on campus.

When it comes to not wanting to spend money on a gym membership, let me break it down for you. One school year costing $100 is a great deal seeing as it entitles you to use not only both of the gyms on campus, but group fitness classes, cycling and pool access.

Essentially the average monthly cost for a gym member ship at UW-Whitewater is about $10. This is a big contrast if you compare it to the average monthly cost for a off-campus gym membership, which is $55 per month according to statisticbrain.com. If you still do not want to pay for a full membership, you can purchase a membership for access to one of the facilities offered on campus for a semester. For instance, if the only aspect of having a membership that appeals to you is group fitness classes, you can pay less for access to just fitness classes. This goes for cycling as well. Check out the Rec Sports page for more details at uww.edu/recsports.

Don’t let excuses hold you back because with these years that we have as college students comes so many resources to stay active. We aren’t going to have a gym within walking distance, or workout buddies a few doors down for the rest of our lives.

Therefore, it is important that we make use of opportunities that are handed to us here on campus in order to maintain a healthy life as a college student.