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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2004)
>a.O\^T , V l:v*\ •avi.i- ^007: ‘Z:7: ^xenu^r ‘Atspsa^ux a^n *8 ssauisng jo; FITNESS IN A.GGIEEAND THE BATTALION 6 Thursday, January 22, 2004 M en with high levels of testos terone pumping iron, strange looking machines and too much activity going on in one room are just some of the reasons women may choose to exercise in a dif ferent atmosphere. Different work-out facilities offer the same equipment, but are tailor- made to fit clientele. In College Station, fitness centers are ready to offer as much as big-city centers do for their clients. Ashley Arnold, a sen ior education major at Texas A&M, prefers the Student Recreational Center as a place to work out because it hosts a program to teach women how to properly use the weight room. “We are already charged a Rec Center fee, so why not use it to your advan tage?” Arnold said. “At first I hated working out in the weight room, because all the big, sweaty guys look at you like you don’t belong there, and I had no idea how to use any of the machines. Once I tried the Rec’s weight program for women, I learned how to use all the machines in the weight room, which allowed me to feel more comfortable when I work out.” Angela Anderson, marketing manager of the Rec Center, said the Women on Weights Program demonstrates to women the proper form for certain machines and introduces the weight room’s personal training area. The pro gram is free and runs in hour-long ses sions Saturday mornings. Women looking for a gym designed particularly for them may want to try an all-women facility. Curves For Women, with locations in Bryan and College Station, is a circuit-training facility designed with women in mind. College Station Curves owner Nerissa Besetsny said if time is an issue. Curves tries to make the most of it. At Curves, women cycle through a 30-minute circuit train ing program, which means every 30 sec onds a woman alternates machines until the 30 minutes are up. Besetsny recom mends coming in three times a week to see the best results. Machines at Curves are designed to hit all major muscle groups. There are no weight stacks, because it is all hydraulic resistance. Different diet plans are also available for women who join, and Curves weighs and measures monthly to help people meet their goals. Kathleen Blackwood, a senior finance major, was a member of Gold’s Gym in her hometown, and transferred her mem bership over to the new College Station facility. She prefers to work out in a sep arate room set aside for women, but also has access to other machines in the larg er fitness area. “Women typically have smaller fig ures than men do, and Gold’s has machines designed for this in a separate room,” Blackwood said. “I like being able to have the option to work out in an all-women’s area if it gets too crowded on the main floor. I first learned about the different machines available to me and I didn’t have to worry about looking stupid See Women on page 8 I like being able to have the option to work out in an all-women's area if it gets too crowd ed on the main floor... — Kathleen Blackwood senior finance major I VM I V' «l trOOZ *ZZ Jjvnuvr 1 Thursday, January 22, 2004 All I wanna do is have some fun Intramurals provides an active resource for healthy living without going to the gym. By Angelique Montes FITNESS IN AGGIELAND S hiloh Venable, a sophomore interdisci plinary studies major, loves playing intramurals and says she would play any sport offered. She plays volleyball anywhere, any time. She also plays basketball, indoor soc cer and even football. If there is an intramural game, one can be sure Venable is there. “You just have fun. You get to meet people that you wouldn’t nor mally have been in contact with,” Venable said. A&M student Adrienne Diaz, a senior management major, finds friends and fun in intramurals. “My dorm had all kinds of teams and I didn't know anyone else to play with, so I headed out and haven’t stopped since,” Diaz said. Whatever the reason, many students pack on some unwanted pounds during their college years. Most want to shed excess weight, but many are hesitant to participate in a structured, regimented workout routine. Some see a strict workout plan as time-consuming, while others just don’t like being in the gym. There is, however, a simple and very fun alternative to this dilemma: intramu ral sports. Intramurals get students off the couch and away from the televi sion and are a huge stress relief, Venable says. “I’m not big into working out,” she said. For some students at A&M. exer cise is more of a chore than time well- spent. With the demands of school, extra curricular activities, jobs and relationships, students need a fun way to stay physically and mentally healthy. “It (intramural participation) gives me a break from the school thing and enables me to get all my energy out,” Diaz said. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress, health experts say. But how much fun is it to sit in a weight room For intromurols sched ules, free agent details and other information about The Department of Recreational Sports' intramurals program, check out: recsports.tamu.edu and w'atch everyone admire themselves in the mirror while not even lift ing a third of what the guy next to you can lift? For students uncomfortable with the beauty and poli tics of the gym, there is an alternative plan. Intramurals hosted at Texas A&M are only 15 minutes from most students’ front doors. Student groups can get together and register at the Student Recreation Center’s mem ber services desk, or individuals can sign up as free agents that teams will pick up to complete their roster. Entry dates, spring sports available and fur ther information is available online at recsports.tamu.edu/intramurals. “I love sports and I like (he oppor tunity to be able to compete with friends,” said Matt Kainer, an intramu ral official and active player. “I contin ue playing because I like the competi tion. It gives me the opportunity to play the sports I like on a somewhat organized level.” All this fun also has serious health benefits. “You don’t have to win, you just have fun,” Venable said. “You get to meet people that you wouldn’t normal ly have been in contact with.” Venable advises hopeful partici pants to register early and ensure that a group has enough people at each game. “I would advise people to at least give it a try once,” Diaz said. “It does n’t matter if you have never played a sport before. If you even have the slightest want to play, try and you never know. You may enjoy yourself, or even find a new' passion of your own.” Kainer, a senior civil engineering major, said students involved in intra mural sports must remember that the goal is a fun. active game and not nec essarily winning. “Remember that the point is to have fun. The only thing that’s on the line is a T-shirt or a certificate” he said, “so just have fun with your fellow Aggies.” ■ FITNESS IN AGGIELAND THE BATTALION Pictured above: Senior accounting major Ryan Looney plays volleyball at the Student Recreation Center volleyball courts last summer. Pictured right: Senior industrial distribution major Ann Stavinoha and her intramural team "The Stubbies" cruise to victory in their first intramural sand volleyball game last summer at the Student Recreation Center.
