By Lee Mendez/ tr news editor
Summer bodies are made in the winter, and TCC can help students get fit.
“It’s hard to believe students spend two years on campus and never find their way to the gym [on campus],” says Laura Bradford, NE Campus instructional associate.
Yet with fitness centers available on every TCC campus, Bradford said there is an activity for just about everyone.
All TCC students, faculty and staff can access any of the campuses’ fitness centers. Community and industry education students also have access to these facilities, and members of the local community can access the facilities by paying a $75 annual membership fee.
Running aficionados will also enjoy the scenic views found on the running trails located on TR Campus. Jose Reyes Jr., a TR instructional aide, said the conditioning classes offered on the campus are one of the more popular programs he sees.
“People really love being able to run outside and take advantage of the trails,” Reyes said. “As the semester progresses and students get into their routine, the flood gates open, and you really see people coming in [to the gym]”.
Swimming pools are also available at all campuses except TR with recreational swim hours and instructor-led swimming courses. TCC campuses also have basketball, volleyball and racquetball courses available for general use.
Along with the amenities found at the campus gym, all fitness centers help sponsor campus-specific events. The 5K run hosted by NE Campus in the spring helps bring awareness and support through food donations to the campus food pantry, Bradford said.
All of the fitness centers are also constantly looking for ways to expand services to all users, Bradford said.
“For kinesiology majors, TCC has state-of-the-art training equipment normally found at four-year universities,” she said.
To name a couple, TCC boasts a Bod-Pod that can accurately measure body fat and a hydrostatic weighing machine that submerges in the water to assess a subject’s true weight.
Although currently not offered for use by the general public, Bradford emphasizes her department is working hard to find ways to incorporate these services into the multitude of activities and programs TCC fitness offers.