Campus fitness community: the URFit Squad
This club welcomes students into the fitness environment and boasts big goals on the horizon
by pall agarwal, contributor
In a world where fitness is seen as a routine, it is reaffirming to believe that it could be something beyond that. Sid Khan, Andrew McLennan, and Mohammad Shahazeb Kamal, with the motivation to foster positivity in the fitness community, founded and launched the URFit Squad. This is not only a club identified by the University of Regina Students’ Union, but it offers an experience beyond social events and projects that a club typically aims to deliver.
URFit Squad, unlike other clubs, has a fee of $20 per semester for the purpose of facilitation, logistics, and financing equipment. In a conversation with co-founder Khan, he explained the structure of this community which functions in groups. Registered members are divided into different groups with a squad leader who helps each member achieve their fitness goals and train with others as well. “We want to give members access to a more focused-group community,” says McLennan. With a goal of at least 50 members divided equally in specific squads who have access to proper training equipment, the club is open to membership all throughout each semester.
The classes are mostly held in-person, and the founders plan to add Zoom classes for better access to people who cannot go out. The URFit Squad have a variety of avenues to explore from meditation to boxing, weightlifting, Zumba, and yoga, and they aim to add spin classes to the list as well. If you have questions about these options and would like to get in contact with the group, they can be reached via Instagram (@urfitnesssquad) and e-mail (urfitsquad@gmail.com).
The founders mentioned during the interview how the environment of a gym and working towards fitness can be overwhelming for some. Thus, to “make it more approachable to students,” says Khan, the founders plan to take the Fit Squad ahead in their lives. This community is for students who wish to come out of their comfort zone and help themselves get more fit every day. “I want to be in my best shape and feel stronger,” said Kane, a newer member in the URFit Squad. He has been working on achieving his fitness goals since the beginning of this semester, as he finds winter harsh and wants to make sure he continues to stay fit and active.
The club has a well laid out plan of expanding their services and getting in more community engagement. They wish to engage more with the city seasonals, track, workouts, and expand their horizons of sport. Collaboration with the Centre of Kinesiology, Health & Sport and with UR Mindful University Project could help students across campus have a holistic approach to health and fitness. They also wish to add snowboarding in the future to help students realize that fitness is about more than life inside a gym doing training and workouts.
Who knew fitness could be a fascinating learning curve for many? Students at the University of Regina now have access to groups like URFit Squad to get personalized guidance on their fitness and learn together with their community. In the hustle and bustle of university life, students can now engage in a routine-focused fitness journey with like-minded people all around campus.
It is indeed essential to acknowledge the importance of both mental and physical health as students undergo a lot of stress during their course of study, which the URFit Squad aims to lessen. It’s a golden opportunity for students to improve their lives and become more fit every day.
