Personalized fitness plan for students at MCC
Mari DeSanto
MesaCC Legend
Students can increase strength and energy by working out and exercising at MCC and earn course credits while staying fit. Each semester the college offers over 20 exercise classes including, weightlifting, yoga, martial arts, and many more. “We have a one-credit class, which is $86, and that would be for four months, so that’s $20 a month,” Jim Haggerty, manager of the fitness wellness program at MCC, said. “The one credit is very cost effective and has a great turnout effect in the martial arts schools near me that use the concept.” The program also offers a personalized fitness plan. The staff goes through a preliminary analysis of a person’s health, interest and goals and from there a plan is created.
State-of-the-art equipment, known as the Human Performance Lab (HPL), will do the assessments. “There are two advantages of the HPL. First, we can assess current fitness and then use the assessment to design a fitness program to enhance your physical health,” Jeffrey Messer, chair of the exercise science department, said. Once a plan is developed, students will meet with a floor supervisor whom Hagerty said, “are all certified personal trainers”. These are professionals working in the program who will create an effective session.
Haggerty explained that the MCC gym has the latest standards of cardiovascular exercise, weight training, and flexibility. There is no shortage of support in the program either. There are about 700 students attending fitness classes. Among the basic courses are various levels including intermediate and a few advanced. There are many different types of workouts available such as aerobics, boot camp, martial arts classes, as well as all the activities in the Fitness Center.
Outdoors enthusiasts have options to choose from, like scheduled hikes and wall climbing. For those who prefer dancing, there is everything from belly dancing to tap dancing. Do not worry, sports are also available. “Physical activity or physical education will lead to improvement of mental and physical health”, exercise department chair Messer said. Not to forget, for those students who are eligible, there are some non-credit classes available for seniors, known as Silver Sneakers. There are also some classes that are offered solely for faculty and staff.
