By Katherine Barclay/ reporter
TCC’s gyms are open to all students, not just those involved in kinesiology classes.
Each campus has its own method of advertising to students.
“Once I put scuba gear on and walked around campus trying to promote the pool,” said NE kinesiology instructional associate Shane Whitehead.
Christina Feyisetan/The Collegian
NW will hold a gym fair in the next few months, which will highlight activity classes and gym facilities. Unlike the health fair which focuses on overall health, the gym fair will focus more on fitness, NW kinesiology associate professor Joshua Tarbay said.
Each campus offers various activities according to the space available, but all gyms are designed with students’ needs in mind, Tarbay said. According to Whitehead, the gyms are continually updated with the newest fitness technology to cater to students.
All TCC gyms offer a variety of cardio machines and weight rooms. Some buildings offer more activities, such as volleyball, racquetball and basketball courts. Some facilities offer a lap pool.
NE is also in the process of building a new outdoor volleyball court and outdoor pingpong tables, Whitehead said. The date for the completion has not yet been determined.
All gym equipment used at TCC is top of the line, Tarbay said, and students will not find equipment at outside gyms any better than what is available on campus. He said campus gyms are designed for the “average college student,” not just for powerlifters, so they can accommodate all students.
“Campus gyms are meant for students to focus on fitness as a part of their health and wellness, rather than for bulking up,” he said.
On-campus gyms may be a solution for students who find fitting workouts into their day difficult.
“I work out after I’m done with classes because I’m already here,” said NE student Aaron Somodevilla.
Convenience also helps with motivation, said former TCC student Rachel Watson.
Watson said she enjoyed the fact that TCC has gyms available on all five campuses.
“My new school does not have a gym located on my campus, which makes going to work out much harder,” said Watson, adding that she now has a gym membership elsewhere.
Although the emphasis is on student participation, there is a push to get faculty involved in health and fitness through the Blue Zones Project, Whitehead said.
The project is a well-being improvement initiative designed to help make healthier choices easier, according to its website. The worksite approach is designed to help workers feel better so productivity is increased and health care costs are lowered, the website said. Faculty are encouraged to participate and can contact any TCC gym for more information.
Fitness advocates on TCC campuses agreed that the gyms are not just a place for students to sweat but also sticky spaces.
Sticky spaces are places on each campus designed for student interaction outside the classroom. They have Wi-Fi, computers and tables available as well as couches to relax.
Whitehead said the sticky space on NE is a place where students want to hang out.
“It’s the fun building — the people here are all happy because they all work out,” he said.
