Rec Center ready to help campus community spring into fitness

Rec Center ready to help campus community spring into fitness
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BY GREG OKUHARA
Rice News Staff

It’s the
beginning of another new year, and resolutions have been
tossed around like confetti at New Year’s Eve parties.

But those who
pledged to get back into shape sometimes run into trouble
sticking to their exercise routines.

To help wellness-oriented
resolutions, the Rice Recreation Center is offering fitness
programs for students, faculty and staff.

Makyba Lyons,
assistant director for fitness at the Recreation Center,
said the new personal training program is perfect to help
people who have resolved to get fit in 2003.

“It’s
really to help provide accountability and motivation for
your workouts,” she said. “Some people need that.
They need someone right next to them saying, ‘Straighten
out your form’ or ‘You only have two more reps
to go’ or ‘This is your last set.’ And then
some people just might have a question about some form of
training. The trainers will be able to answer all those
questions.”

Lyons has hired
both a male and female trainer. Once both trainers are at
Rice, clients will be able to purchase one, three or five
one-hour-long session packages. The cost for faculty/staff/Recreation
Center members is $35 for one session, $100 for three sessions
and $140 for five sessions (a savings of $10). Student prices
are $30, $80 and $115, respectively.

Before a client
can start the program, they must fill out an information
packet to help determine if any pre-existing medical conditions
might exist. If they might exist, the client then needs
to visit a doctor to be cleared to participate.

Once a client
begins the program, they will meet one-on-one with the trainer,
establish a base fitness level, assess goals and develop
a training program.

Lyons stressed
the program is to help clients begin their journey to better
fitness, whether that is losing weight, getting in better
shape or gaining weight.

“Hopefully
people will use this program as a way to get in shape and
a way to maintain that shape,” she said. “We don’t
want to a foster a dependency on the relationship between
the client and the personal trainer. We want to give clients
the skills they need to maintain their personal fitness
once they’ve completed their sessions.”

In addition to
the personal training program, the Recreation Center also
is sponsoring the Spring Into Fitness challenge.

Contestants will
measure their fitness levels in certain areas at the beginning
of February. Participants are to exercise two times each
week, then be re-tested at the end of the spring semester.
Everyone who participates will receive a prize, and those
who show an improvement in fitness will receive an “improvement
prize.” The top 10 participants also will be recognized
for their accomplishments.

Registration
for the Spring Into Fitness program runs through Jan. 31.

The Recreation
Center also provides Group Fitness classes, which include
yoga, cardio kickboxing and pilates, in addition to others.

Regardless of
which fitness program clients choose, Lyons said it is important
for everyone to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“A lot of
people have a tendency to make their health secondary because
they are so consumed with their work or studies,” Lyons
said. “You have to maintain your health in order to
get those other things done. It’s something people
should be a little more conscious of.

“This program
can help people across a broad spectrum. I see this program
as being beneficial to everyone — from the college
freshman all the way up to a faculty or staff member who
might be retiring and has a lot of free time.”

She also added
that no one should feel too afraid to begin an exercise
program. The only requirement is that people have a desire
to improve their fitness.

“We don’t
want people to be intimidated,” Lyons said. “It’s
really for anybody — anyone who wants to make changes
in their life. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this
program is for people who are already in shape or are athletes.
It’s for the person who is serious about health and
fitness.”

Find out more
about the offerings of the Recreation Center on the Web
at <www.ruf.rice.edu/~ricerec>.