The Rec Center

When students come to The University of Alabama, a lot of things change. School seems to be more difficult, for many students there are more students than there were in high school, and a student’s daily routine changes. During high school, many students probably played a sport or had an exercise plan set up for every week, but once they got to college they no longer have these set programs. This is why the University has created the Student Recreation Center, also called “The Rec”, which provides a large variety of options including classes, equipment, and a full snack bar. However it is not without its flaws such as conflicting times, too little equipment, and parking.

With all of the variety offered at The Rec there is something for everyone, with one of the most popular options being the aerobics classes. There are classes for strength, dancing, cycling, yoga, and water activities. Ashley Chaffin, a freshman at the University, said that she has attended many of the classes and said they were difficult, but that is the way she wanted them. She also said, “The instructors were very enthusiastic and easy to follow.” The main problem with these classes is that many of the popular classes start before eleven o’clock in the morning. Many students have class in the morning, which means they will not have the opportunity to go to these specific classes.

Due to many student schedules conflicting with the times of aerobics classes, The Rec provides all types of equipment so students can create their own exercise routine. The Rec has state of the art equipment that is easy to use. However, there is too little of this equipment and at some points during the day hundreds of body sculpting students can be found causing mass chaos and congestion on the machines. Many students say that if you go from seven to nine at night, all the equipment is occupied. This is especially a problem for the cardio equipment, which is often completely filled. The Rec also has free weights that are available for anyone to lift regardless of their strength.

Along with the all of the top of the line equipment, there are many other options provided by The Rec. These options include several basketball courts, a track, a pool, a rock wall, and many more. If you can go when it is not very crowded, most students typically enjoy their experience. The Rec also offers intramural sports for those who enjoy playing team sports. Many students love intramural sports because they not only get to play a sport they enjoy, but they also get to meet people with the same interests.

Besides all of the exercise options, The Rec also offers amenities such as snack bar and a parking lot for the convenience of the students. The snack bar offers a full smoothie bar and many nutritious snacks that are perfect for students after a workout. Although it is nice that The Rec has parking for its students, a negative that needs to be addressed is the size of the parking lot. If you try and go during the peak hours, the parking is slim to none and The Rec is a long way away from most other places on campus, especially the dorms. Additional parking would help a great deal and allow even more people to get a solid workout in.

Overall, The Rec is an excellent place to get one’s body into shape thanks to its variety of classes, excellent equipment, and plenty of different options available for all students. The biggest problem seems to be that it gets crowded at the peak hours during the day. Although for some a big crowd is just another way to meet more people, for others it can ruin their experience of working out. The best advice I can offer to those students would be to go to the center during times of the day when it is less crowded if it can fit into their schedule. Hopefully each student can find a time that works best for them and can spend their downtime between classes at The Rec.