As temperatures drop, the SRSC stays busy

Despite the recent decrease in temperature, the Student Recreational Sports Center will be as hot as a tropical island in the coming months.\nWhether it’s jogging around the indoor track or swimming laps in the pool, the cold and windy conditions outdoors are not keeping students from their usual workouts.\nIn fact, the busiest months for the facility lie ahead as Bloomington transitions from the fall to winter season.\n“January and February are the two busiest months at the SRSC,” said Chris Geary, director of programming and research for Campus Recreational Sports. “We will average 3,000 visits per day to the SRSC in January.”\nIn addition to the cardiovascular equipment and strength and conditioning rooms, the aquatics program will continue to surge over the next few months, he said. Open-swim hours for lap swimming, recreational swimming and diving are available as well as group, semi-private and private swim lessons for children and adults. \n“You have to go to the SRSC more often when the temperature goes down,” freshman Nicole Cooper said. “You’ll be less likely to regularly go outside and get some exercise.”\nThe 80 group programs, which are free with a valid student ID, stay popular even with the decrease in temperature, Geary said. In particular, CycleFit, an indoor cycling program, gets busier as the Little 500 race gets closer. Mind-Body, another popular winter program, features belly dancing, yoga, pilates and personal training and is usually in high demand, he said.\nBesides the traditional exercise classes, participation increases in intramural sports and other campus recreational sports, said RecSports Assistant Director of Marketing Melissa Copas.\nBasketball, will provide student athletes an opportunity to showcase their talents on the hardwood. In addition to basketball, table tennis and badminton appeal to students who wish to compete as an individual rather than as a team, she said. \nWhen the students leave on winter break, Campus Recreational Sports plans to be hard at work. The staff will be reorganizing the strength and conditioning area so that it is appealing to new users and people who are uncomfortable around free weights. \n“This new arrangement of equipment will make it easier to find machines, create additional core and stretching areas, and enhance the overall layout of the space,” Geary said. \nAs a result, he said the SRSC will host a series of open forums to receive student feedback on the proposed layout. These forums are open to any IU student, faculty, staff or public RS member.\nSo as the cold fronts head to campus, students say the weather won’t keep them from working out. \n“Everyone should continue to go to the SRSC,” sophomore Samantha Foster said. “It is important to keep up your physical health throughout the whole year.”