In the busy lives of college students, exercise can sometimes slip through the cracks. Ben Cope, the fitness and wellness coordinator for the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, gives busy students advice on how to keep exercise part of their lives.

• Use your own body resistance.

Doing sit-ups or push-ups while watching television or in your spare time is a good way to bridge the gap between workouts.

• Work out with an exercise DVD..

Exercise DVDs, such as yoga or Pilates, are a good way to exercise without leaving the house or using any extra equipment. According to Wal-Mart’s Web site, yoga and Pilates DVDs range from $6 to $24.

• Buy a medicine ball, resistance band or dumbbells.

These tools are supposed to be used to keep active between workouts, Cope said.

• Take a time management class.

“It’s a matter of prioritizing,” Cope said, “and finding what’s important.”

• Watch your favorite show from the rec center.

If you have a favorite show that you watch at a certain time, watch it at the rec center while you’re working out, Cope said.

• Take a group class.

Taking a Group X, instructional fitness or aquatics class is a good way to combine exercise and socializing.

• Do a fast-paced walk to class or take a jog around campus.

Time your walk to class and try to decrease that time by five minutes, Cope said.

Increase the intensity of your workout while decreasing your workout time.

Try doing the same workout in half the time by increasing the intensity, Cope said.

• Walk instead of drive.

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.

“Even if you can sneak a half hour in, it’s better than nothing,” Cope said.

Student Recreation and Wellness Center by the numbers

• 153,000: Number of square feet the rec center encompasses

• $25 million: Rec center’s total cost

• $55: Amount added to a student’s tuition per semester to fund the rec center

• 34,056: Number of students attending Kent State in Fall 2007

• 2,000: Number of people who use the rec center daily

• 90: Percent of the rec center’s members who are students

• $70: Amount a summer student membership costs for those not taking summer classes

• 1: Number of credit hours a student must take in the summer in order to have a free membership

Sources:

Jason Hawk, interim director of marketing for the rec center, Ohio State University’s OnCampus Online Web site, Hammond Construction Web site, e-Inside Web site.

Contact news correspondent Katelyn Luysterborg at [email protected].