By Traci Dunlap/reporter

   Students needing a jump start with that New Year’s resolution to drop a few pounds or get in shape need to look no further than a TCC campus.
   No need for them to drive to the gym across town, where they will pay for a full year, and maybe go one month. Everything one needs is available on any TCC campus.
   All TCC campuses offer many physical fitness classes, but many students may not realize the other resources available to students outside the classroom.
   Each campus gym has weight machines, free weights, treadmills, exercise bikes and more aids for students, faculty and staff.
   Jason Wooten, instructor of health and physical education on SE Campus, said anyone associated with TCC does not need to join a health center.
   “ As long as you are a TCC student, your student fees have already paid for your access to the gym,” he said.
   Some students might need an extra push in the exercise department and should enroll in a physical education class of some kind. TCC offers many types of programs geared toward physical fitness.
   Participants may not even realize how hard they are working out because they enjoy the class.
   Students can enroll in anything from aerobics to tap dancing or swimming to Frisbee golf. The college’s wide range of offerings can encourage physical fitness for those students who discover that solo workouts in the gym are not for them.
   Wooten suggested a few classes that might help students get into better health.
   “ Swimming is a great all-around exercise,” he said. “TCC offers a swimming class that is geared for aquatic exercise. Students who already know how to swim get to do more group exercise and more exercise in the water. It’s a great workout.”
   Another entertaining way to get some exercise through class might be Frisbee golf.
   Wooten said students get credit for the class and, at the same time, have fun and burn calories.
   Exercise is not all students need to become healthier. Wooten said diet is a huge factor as well.
   Most people have different beliefs and guidelines they follow when it comes to getting in shape.
   Wooten said whatever they believe is fine, but there is a fine line between getting in shape and shedding a few pounds.
   “ Some people believe the more cardio workouts you do, the more you will lose,” he said.   “Really, all it boils down to is that the calories you intake cannot exceed the calories you burn. It’s not anything that can be based on how many minutes you do of something.”
Muriel Beck, women’s fitness center owner, agreed with Wooten.
   “ Diet and exercise are the ways to get in shape,” she said. ”You need to watch what you eat and burn those calories.”
   Beck stressed an important key to physical fitness.
   “ Start good habits now because it only gets harder as you get older,” she said.
   Commitment must come from within the individual, Beck said.
   “ No one can make you exercise,” she said. “It’s something you have to make up your mind for, set your heart to and stick with it. It’s definitely a lifestyle change.”
   For specific gym hours, check with the HPE department on any TCC campus.