Eighty percent of people who start a fitness regimen don’t continue it. | Courtesy of the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

Anyone expecting to hit the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center at the start of the spring semester should prepare for larger crowds and extended peak busy hours, according to its usage data.

Assistant Director of Fitness at the Campus Rec, Melanee Wood, said this could be due to a number of factors, including New Year resolutions.

“Every gym and every fitness facility sees that kind of uptick in January,” Wood said. “But I think specifically in a university setting we get kind of a double whammy, really a triple whammy.”

Factors that play a unique role in the spring usage of university fitness centers, Wood said, are students having lighter course loads at the beginning of every semester, a resurgence in fitness interest because of New Years resolutions and people wanting to prepare for spring break.

“We get hit with all of that in January,” Wood said.

Though 80 percent of individuals beginning a fitness program don’t ultimately stick with it, Wood said forming certain habits can greatly contribute to maintaining an effective workout regiment.

“The most important thing when it comes to setting up a new fitness routine is finding what works for you,” Wood said. “If you like to dance, come to Zumba classes. If you like to weight lift, don’t stick yourself on a treadmill.”

 The beginning of the semester rush to the Rec generally begins to die down within three to six weeks, Wood said, with peak attendance normally occurring during the third week of the spring semester.

“Over the last six years, I’ve seen that the traffic in the Rec, that kind of busy period, is being extended longer in the day,” Wood said. “And more weeks out of the semester are seeing high traffic.”

According to the Rec Center usage data, those seeking to workout during less busy periods should consider scheduling their sessions either early in the morning or immediately following peak hours, such as after 9 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.

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“Campus Rec projects uptick in January gym usage” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar