Welcome back to State College! Or maybe this is your first semester here at University Park. Either way, you've decided that you want to get into great shape this semester.
After taking that all-important first step, you'll need to know where to go on campus to workout. Fortunately, you have several great choices.
The newest and largest facility on campus is the MBNA Fitness Center located on the lower level of the White Building. Its central location, right next to the HUB, makes it very convenient from every corner of campus.
The MBNA Fitness Center houses state-of-the-art strength training machines, free weights and cardiovascular equipment. In addition, fitness trainers and group fitness classes are offered if you are in need of some training advice or help including some variety in your workout.
The IM Fitness Center is located in the Intramural (IM) Building near many of the residence halls on the east side of campus. Yes freshman, all the way out by you! Its equipment selection is very similar to that of the MBNA Fitness Center.
The Fitness Loft, located in the Natatorium, is a unique facility that overlooks the three indoor pools. With almost 40 pieces of cardiovascular equipment, the Loft offers a great alternative if you are more interested in cardiovascular training.
The Recreational Weight Room, on the other hand, is your home if you're most interested in strength training. Located in the Recreation Building (Rec Hall), near many of the residence halls on the newly expanded west-end of campus, this room offers a complete weight training experience.
Without any cardiovascular equipment, there is plenty of room for a full line of strength training machines and free weight equipment, including a large dumbbell area. For more information on the exercise facilities on campus, go to http://www.psu.edu/dept/psustrength/.
Now that you know where you can go to workout, you'll probably want to purchase a Student Fitness Membership. The Recreational Weight Room is the only facility on campus that does not currently require a membership, however you do need to bring your valid Penn State id+ Card for admission.
Memberships for the other facilities must be purchased online and can be charged to your student account. They are available for Fall 2005 only, or you can purchase a combination membership for Fall 2005 and Spring 2006.There are a limited number of these combo memberships that are available with a fitness assessment.The assessment is designed to determine your level of fitness in several key areas, including muscular strength and endurance, body composition, and flexibility, at the beginning of the fall semester.Further assessments will follow at the end of the fall or beginning of the spring semester, and at the end of the spring semester so you can track your workout progress and see the positive gains you are making.In addition to providing access to three different facilities on campus, the membership allows you to take advantage of the student aerobics classes, the indoor pools and the roller hockey rink during normal hours of operation.Once you have your membership, remember to take your Penn State id+ Card with you every time you want to access the facility so your membership can be verified.For more information on Student Fitness Memberships, please check out:https://fitnessmembership.psu.edu.
If you choose to buy a membership, you'll have to decide which facility to use and when to plan your workout. Often times, the decision of where to go is as simple as which fitness center is the closest to where you live.While that may be fine in many circumstances, keep in mind that by being willing to walk a few extra minutes, you may find another facility that is not as crowded, is open hours that are more convenient for you, and still has everything you're looking for to workout. Plus, the extra walk can be part of your workout.In general, the busiest times in all the fitness centers on campus are in the mid-afternoon and early evening hours, between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.If you can find time in the morning or in between some of your classes to get in your workout, you may find that you won't have as many people to compete with for workout time and space.There are often several facilities open at the same time, and many are open seven days a week.
Some facilities open as early as 6:30 a.m. and stay open as late as 1 a.m. on the weekends.If you do run into a line when you get to one of the fitness centers, please be patient.Lines usually move very quickly and wait times to get in are generally less than 20 minutes. You can even check how many people are in each fitness center and if there is a waiting line before you leave your room by going to the Penn State Strength/Cardio website:http://www.psu.edu/dept/psustrength/.
Finally, remember that facility schedules often change around University holidays and break times. Please keep this in mind and plan ahead so that you will not miss any workout time. To stay updated on the schedule at each of the facilities on campus, call (814) 865-3488.And for those of you who will be here next year, there will be a new two-story fitness center located in Rec Hall that is currently under construction, with plans to open in September 2006. Something to look forward to.Good luck this semester. With this information in hand, you're well on your way to a year of great health and fitness.
