(Did you know you have a FREE GYM MEMBERSHIP! Read on to learn more!!)

The idea of tying a personal improvement resolution to a calendar year is not a new one. Human cultures have been doing this for a few centuries now with the tradition dating back to ancient Babylon!

Many people today make it a practice to resolve to get in shape each new year. This one makes sense following the cultural acceptance of overeating in November and December for the holidays! I came home from my holiday travels weighing 20lbs over my ideal weight, and I knew I had to do something about it. I’ve never been big (pun intended) on New Years Resolutions before, and I wasn’t about to put that label on what I was about to begin. The label has this joke behind it as if the resolution is just something we do for a few weeks in January and February before falling back into our old routines of overeating, drinking too much, and not exercising!

Whether it’s a resolution or not, there are hundreds of reasons that you should make regular exercise a part of your life! And now you have one less excuse to avoid it!

All students can use the gym in Building III for free!!! All you need to do is show up with your Student ID!!! We’ve mentioned this before here and here. And here’s the official Recreation Center web page.

My Experience at the Recreation Center:
Don’t forget a towel and some cheap flip flops to wear in the locker room (no one wants athlete’s foot). Be sure to bring that student ID. There was plenty of open equipment in the evening. At 5 pm there were only four other people in the gym. Bring a small lock so you can lock up any valuables, there are plenty of lockers. Don’t wear any clothes that need to be hung up; there are no coat hangers and the lockers are typical gym locker size.

There are plenty of machines and free weights, and they even have organized classes like Zumba! There are locker rooms with showers so you don’t have to go to class stinky. (Please don’t go to class stinky!)

In case you need one more reason to exercise:

Regular exercise will IMPROVE YOUR GRADES! It helps you to focus better, and event think more clearly!

Additional reading:

Scientific American

Harvard Health Blog