Pros and cons of the campus gym
While facilities are open and options are flexible, there are some things left to be desired
For those of you who have not had the opportunity to try out the University of Regina’s gym this year, here is what you are missing out on! The Carillon decided to give you an inside look at the pros and the cons that the gym has to offer – so let’s get into the equipment, the staff, the organization, the members of the gym, and more.
Now, if you have not noticed, the U of R gym is on the second floor of the KHS building, based off a track going around the three gymnasiums on the first floor, which makes up for a cool set up. Before you head upstairs, walk down the hall towards the pool. This is where the change rooms are and you can choose to lock your bags in a locker, or there is a small closet room for your bags in the gym that does not have a locking option. Then, walk up the stairs, and to check yourself in you must walk across the track, so make sure you look both ways before crossing because there are sprinters and walkers going in opposite directions.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic all four lanes of the track open have been kept open, which means two lanes walking and two lanes running. When you look down from that track and the cardio area you can see the sports teams practice. This can be encouragement for some gym members to keep pushing through, and it can also keep you entertained as you run that extra mile on the treadmill. As you workout at the U of R gym, what can be encouraging for others is the fact that there is no dress code, which means you can dress as comfortably as you like to get that workout done. The only “dress code” that has been added this year is to keep your mask always on!
We have discussed the pros, now let’s look at the cons of the gym. Now, it is true to say that a gym should be clean in general and should be sanitized no matter what. From my perspective, this gym lacks in that department. From experience, as someone who has worked out there multiple times, you normally do not see their staff cleaning equipment, changing out cleaning rags, or filling up cleaning bottles. Not only is it about the staff, but the equipment itself is not the most sanitary. Let’s say you finish a set of squats, and you go to clean your weights – your cleaning rag may just turn black. This gives you two pieces of information: that they have not been sanitized, and that they are not being cleaned in general. This next part is on both staff and members: when you are done a set and have cleaned your supplies, please just put your equipment where you found it. It should not be a hunt to go and find matching weights and dumbbells. You are paying to be here to workout, not to look around for equipment.
Lastly, when you are at the gym, one of the main goals of working out is to remain safe physically. This mostly involves your form, but the U of R should make this manageable for everyone, and I don’t think they do. For example, the boxes that are commonly used for box jumps are nowhere near stable in my experience. This can severely hurt someone as they are jumping, and can risk falling back on their head or misplacing their jump because that said box has now moved. It impacts your shock absorption, and you chance jarring your joints.
As you have read, the U of R gym has pros and cons. Now, it is up to us as a student body, members, and as athletic teams to bring our concerns forward so this gym can be fun, safe, and usable for everyone.
