Get up and get going.

Getting through your first year is tough. Getting through without gaining weight can be even tougher. Here’s the skinny on how to stay in shape.

When it comes to staying fit, IU students are in luck. All you need to access the University’s sports complexes is a student ID card. (Translation: you’ve got free reign of both recreational facilities, Woodlawn Field, tennis courts and the North Fee Lane Outdoor Recreation Complex. Normally, students cram into the Student Recreation Sports Center, located near Teter and Wright, at 1601 Law Lane. It’s a 204,000 square-foot fieldhouse with nine racquetball/squash courts, six outdoor tennis courts, five basketball/volleyball courts, three multi-purpose gyms and more than 400 pieces of cardiovascular, strength and conditioning equipment. Also available to students inside the SRSC is the Counsilman/Billingsley Aquatic Center, which features an Olympic-sized pool and diving well.

Older, smaller, but generally much less crowded is the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Building. Its center-of-campus-location, at 1025 E. Seventh St., might also draw people in during a break from classes. Inside, you’ll find three multi-purpose gyms, two swimming pools, 10 basketball and volleyball courts, 12 racquetball and squash courts. This older facility located in the middle of campus is often less crowded than the SRSC, which was built in 1995. It features 10 basketball/volleyball courts, 12 racquetball/squash courts, three multi-purpose gyms and two swimming pools.
Aside from running tracks and exercise equipment, Rec Sports also offers free group exercise classes taught by experienced instructors.

Classes
Trekking, hip-hop and jazz pop dance classes, cardio, cardio kickboxing, strength and flexibility, deep water exercise, step and boot camp exercise.

Check out www.iurecsports.org for the schedule of classes.

Get a sneak peek
During summer orientation, the SRSC opens for new freshmen and their families to get acquainted with the facility. Each open house runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and offers free food, tours and games – as well as a chance to throw on your gym shoes and get a work out in. All of the facilities will be open, including the pool, so don’t forget your suit.

Orientation open house dates

June 10-12     June 29 - July 2
June 16-19     July 7-10
June 23-26     July 13-16

Can you go the distance?
If marathon running is your thing, make sure you take part in the annual Jill Behrman 5K. Named in honor of former IU student and SRSC employee Jill Behrman after her death in 2000, a 5K run/walk event was created by Jill’s family and IU Rec Sports to honor her memory. This year’s race, scheduled for Oct. 24, will be the ninth. Proceeds will benefit both local charity Jill’s House as well as the Jill Behrman Emerging Leader Scholarship.