MCC offers affordable exercise programs for students
Sydney Ritter
Mesa Legend
For the busy student and faculty member, Mesa Community College (MCC) offers affordable and flexible exercise programs to both. Exercise has always been revered for making a person healthier, look better and generally feel like an all around better person but for the average college student, there is no time to work out. “I think the first thing for the students is to find something they enjoy doing and it’s really about time management. Possibly even writing everything down, making a schedule for themselves and scheduling in their activity that they want to do,” said adjunct faculty of the Exercise Science department Gail Herndon. “It’s about consistency.”
Students that spend a majority of their days at MCC and are looking to find the time to get some more exercise in their daily lives have the option to use fitness facilities at MCC. Both the Southern & Dobson and Red Mountain campus have a Fitness Center for their students and faculty to use when they have the chance to. Currently only Southern & Dobson has a Group Activity Center. There are, of course, classes can be taken for credits include golf, weightlifting, and yoga, but apart from the credit classes, noncredit classes are also available including Community Fit, semester access to the Fitness Center and the Group Activity Center, and Mini Fit, two months access to the Fitness Center and the Group Activity Center.
The Fitness Center offers students total conditioning that features both resistance and cardiovascular exercise equipment. The Group Activity Center is also open to students looking for flexible workout sessions of the student’s choice during the Fall and Spring semesters, Monday through Friday and Monday through Thursday during the Summer Sessions. Both day and evening classes are available so students can create their own schedule. The classes available at the Group Activity Center include aerobics classes, body sculpting, boot camp, cycling, kickboxing, Pilates mat work, yoga, and Zumba. MCC also hosts an exercise science club on campus that offers exercise programs for any student that wants to join.
Exercise is not the only key component to staying healthy while balancing a busy schedule. In a statement given by the World Health Organization, “good nutrition – an adequate, well-balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone of good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity.”Students can find themselves eating healthier while on a strict budget like most college students have. “Going to the local farmer’s markets and things that offer fresh options. I also feel like it’s almost cheaper and healthier to make your food than buy something that is processed with all the chemicals,” Herndon added.
Farmers markets are easy to come by in Arizona since there are a little under 100 farmers markets spread across the valley. Not all markets are outdoors either. For anyone who enjoys indoor grocery shopping, local stores like Sprouts have introduced farmers market prices to the grocery store setting. Websites like LocalHarvest.org have made finding farmers markets close to home easy. Along with fresher foods, another way that students can eat healthier on a budget is cutting out the fast food and decide to cook meals at home instead. Heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity have all been linked with eating fast food regularly. Eating locally and cooking the food at home may seem like more of a hassle but in reality is extremely healthy and affordable.
