Hearing from the rec center employees:
“Feel welcome because it’s paid by your tuition,” rec center employee Sean Barber said. Barber said the rec center can definitely feel intimidating at first, but the more you go, the more welcoming it becomes.
“This really is the heart of campus,” weight room attendant Emil Chan said. In the weight room, it is important to be safe, use common sense and know the trainers will help when they see it is needed, Chan said.
“It will probably kick your butt the first couple times,” climbing wall attendant Stewart Bell said about trying out the infamous climbing wall. Bell stressed how climbing is a really fun way to exercise, and it can greatly improve your fitness.
Some Dos and Donts of the Rec:
DO:
- Be nice to the rec center employees
- Re-rack your weights in the same place you got them
- Try one of the infamous rec center smoothies
- Join an intramural team
- Utilize the pool and hot tub
- Try out a class and the climbing wall
- Clean up your messes
- Bring shower shoes
- Use the studios when there’s no class. You can go to the weight room and sign up to use a room, and an employee will unlock it for you.
- BE SAFE. It’s always better to correctly use weights than to go too heavy with bad form.
- For optimum results, make sure to have something energizing before your workout (an apple, pre-workout shake, etc.) and ideally some protein (protein shake, protein bar, etc.) within an hour after your workout to help repair the muscle fibers you just broke down.
- Remember, you’ve made it to the gym, which is already a feat in itself! Health is wealth, and since you’ve set out time to improve your fitness, make it worthwhile! Give it all you’ve got.
DON’T:
- Be scared of the “shark tank”: There’s lots of space in there
- Hog the machines
- Chug a ton of water mid-workout
- Be afraid to ask if you are unsure about a machine or movement. The weight room usually has trainers that can answer any questions. Knowledge is power and safety!
- Forget the rec center doesn’t open until 10 a.m. on Sundays. It’s no fun getting to the gym at 8 a.m. on Sunday and realizing its closed!
Some general information about the Rec:
HOURS:
Monday-Thursday: 6 a.m. to midnight
Friday: 6 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
LOCKERS: You can pay to have locker for a quarter or the year. Otherwise, you can bring your own lock to use upstairs.
Rec center website: http://www.wwu.edu/campusrec/index.shtml
Rec center frequently asked questions: http://www.wwu.edu/campusrec/faq.shtml
