These are the reasons you should take advantage of JMU's UREC, or University Recreation Center.
Exercise is good for you.
While it may be difficult to do, exercise is so beneficial for people. There are numerous health reasons why someone should exercise, from lowering blood pressure to extending lifespan. While you may not want to, exercising has long-reaching effects that are worth the temporary inconvenience.
UREC is free.
As a college student, it's hard to find places that are completely free. However, as a JMU student, UREC is completely free to use — you only need your JACard. For this reason, students should take advantage of free access to head to UREC.
Freshens!
While this shouldn't be your number one reason for heading to UREC, it's definitely a side perk. Freshens has delicious rice bowls as well as smoothies that make working out at the gym worth the pain and effort.
You have access to equipment.
While exercising at home can be good, college students often don't have the same access to the various exercise equipment that gyms come with. This is especially true of UREC, where JMU students don't have to pay a cent for access to treadmills, bicycles, etc.
It'll give you a self-esteem boost.
Exercising is a good way to build self-esteem and feel good about yourself. Exercise naturally causes serotonin and dopamine levels to rise. Working out can also cause someone's self-esteem to increase as they often feel better about themselves or their body image.
It's good therapy.
Exercise is often a way for people to wind down and escape from their hectic and stressful lives. I've heard from many people that jogging is a way for people to calm down and enter a peaceful "zone" where their problems often seem to feel less heavy. Combine this with dopamine increases and exercise is a great option for improving mental health as well.
You can make it a social event.
Exercise doesn't always have to be a solo activity. Bring your friends and work out together! Or take a group class at UREC, most of which are free. UREC has classes ranging from power yoga to kickboxing. Exercising with others is always more fun than alone.
You improve your body's athletic abilities.
Exercising is often a way for people to improve their bodies for athletics. If you're an athlete, going to the gym will only ever benefit (as long as you do it correctly and safely). But honing abilities in other areas separate from your sport is a good way to improve overall.
It teaches you discipline.
Doing exercise routines teaches your discipline. Often routines that involve reps (such as 10 push-ups, five pull-ups, etc.) teach the user patience and how to pace themselves so they don't hurt themselves.
You have access to a sauna and hot tub.
UREC has many great perks. One of them is a sauna and hot tub in the aquatics center. These are fantastic places for friends to go to and relax after a hard day.
You can go rock climbing.
Who said exercise has to be boring! At UREC students have the option of rock climbing, a fun way to build upper body strength and flexibility. In addition to rock climbing are other fun options such as racketball and ping pong.
It's much easier to start now.
As college students, we often think our schedules are super busy and packed. However, adult life is also just as busy (if not more) and often more stressful than college. Learning how to balance school and working out early on can teach you how to do so when you enter the real world as well.
Hopefully, I've convinced you of the various reasons why you should take advantage of UREC as a JMU student.
