Keeping that New Year's going-to-the-gym-more-often resolution may be easier this year with the help and supervision of professional trainers for small groups of friends, a new workout option available to students through RecSports.
In addition to the personal trainer program, RecSports created the small group-training program for students who like to work out with their friends, said RecSports fitness coordinator Shellie Dodd-Bell.
"This gives them the opportunity to learn some instruction and come play with their friends," Dodd-Bell said.
While she said personal trainers can be an easy way to "spice up" a dull exercise routine and "keep you from getting bored," Dodd-Bell believes having friends to exercise with will provide that "little extra motivation" that many students need to make the trip to the gym.
Similar to individual personal training sessions, which first became available last February, small group personal training is sold in packages ranging from "Domer" (which includes three sessions) to "Fighting Irish" (which consists of 10 sessions). Before beginning the actual training, students must partake in a fitness assessment, in which their body composition, muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance are evaluated.
In addition to contributing to the students' motivation for exercising, group personal training is less of a financial strain than individual personal training, Dodd-Bell said. For groups of two students, the "Domer" package costs $57 per person. For groups of four, each student has to pay only $48. Individual personal training costs a student $69 for three sessions.
Junior Patrick Kennedy said he likes the idea of training in a group as it could create another incentive to make him fit a quick workout into his weekly routine.
"I think it's a great idea. Unless I have something scheduled, it's hard for me to find the time to work out but if I had someone else with me, it would be much more fun," Kennedy said.
But other students, like sophomore Raymond Clark, may prefer to keep exercising on their own.
"Working out is more personal for me. I'm individually motivated, so I'd rather work out by myself," Clark said.
The small group personal training program has ongoing registration and allows students to customize their fitness goals and request a male or female trainer.
