Students and staff stay fit for $20 or less each quarter with memberships to the campus fitness center in the HEC

Tamara Kelly
Staff Writer

As a student, taking the time for yourself can be hectic, especially when days are filled with homework, classes, and attempts to keep a social life. Despite all this, taking the time to work out can help alleviate stress.

Many students end up eating unhealthy foods because they’re fast and easy to prepare. Tight schedules lead to the need to balance unwise food choices with exercise, but they also prevent students from finding time to work out. Believe it or not, there are a few ways to burn carbs between classes.

While walking across the campus or jogging through the nearby Steilacoom Park can be great ways to stay in shape, there are also options available in the HEC building.

Walking on a treadmill, stair climbing, or pumping some iron are a few of the options available to students for the low price of $15 a quarter.  Staff and faculty can pay $15 plus a $5 staff fee.

The Health Education Center has Matrix fitness equipment and more than 20 pieces of Cardiovascular equipment. The Scifit upper body-conditioning machine is also available for the disabled.

Another option that is often overlooked is working on personalizing a training program. Students should feel free to ask staff members about different workout possibilities.

The final workout option for busy students is enrolling in a class like Pilates, yoga, body conditioning, or kickboxing to relieve stress and earn some credits simultaneously.

Michael Taylor shares the required experience of many others, saying simply, “I took a class in there once” when asked about his involvement in using the HEC building.

Whether it’s used less or more by students and staff, the H.E.C. building is available for daily use and includes a wide range of choices for working out and staying fit.