Listen HereBy: Alexis Mitchell
Email – mitchella2@findlay.edu
Twitter – @alexismitch14
Ohio has seemed to skip the fall weather and has begun cold, winter weather. This means a few things: students bundling up to walk to class, people fighting for a spot next to the fireplace in the AMU, and students are working out more inside than outside.
One thing I’ve noticed as the cardio center has increased in bodies, is that there is not a lot of weight lifting machines besides the actual weight room. The thing about the weight room attached to the FRC is that non-athletes can only use it after six at night.
This might seem like a fine solution to make sure UF sport teams have plenty of time to lift throughout the day, but non-athletes might be busy any time after six. Some of them might have class, too much homework, or have previous commitments.
To some, this might seem like a mediocre problem. However, everyone on campus deserves equal opportunities, this includes working out and maintaining health.
One solution I think would seem reasonable, is having one weight room for athletes, and then one for non-athletes. Expanding a universities’ athletic facility has been proven to affect a student’s grades in a positive way. An example of this was in 2013 when Purdue University improved their athletic facilities.
Students who attended the gym 64 times or more a semester saw an increase in GPA from 3.07 to 3.2. Then, according to a 2014 example from Michigan State University, it was reported that students who attended the fitness facilities had higher average grades, longer attendance, and more students become second-year students than students who did not use the gym-facilities.
There is obviously some health and mental benefits that come with students feeling like they have a place to work out. As a non-athlete, I think I would be more apt to try weight training if there was a weight room open during regular times for other students.
By giving students this option, I believe more students will work out therefore benefiting them on many aspects of their life. Now I do not speak for every student at UF, but some athletes have agreed with this idea as well.
Sarah Kistner, a sophomore lacrosse player, says that she thinks it would be a great idea to have two separate weight rooms. This way, students feel like they have a good place to go work out whenever they have the time.
Many schools in Ohio and across the country have separate weight lifting facilities for students, and I think this would be a good option for the University of Findlay to look into for the future.
