Project 2 Final

View Student Recreational Center in a larger map

The Student Recreation Center [SRC] provides a way for Arizona State Students to stay healthy and fit while away at school. “Schools have the opportunity to provide resources for teens and parents on healthy and wellness related issues” (Rooks 10) Exercise and wellness are very important to me. In my opinion and as a former athlete my perspective of staying fit is more of a necessity rather than an option. After playing sports my whole life and then stopping half way through high school I quickly realized how easy it was to stay in shape while playing sports, and how hard it was to keep motivated, stay in shape, go to the gym; and how easy it was while playing sports, training day in and day out. Once I started to get the hang of it, it became much more natural to me like a habit instead of the chore I dreaded each day. Working out and exercising daily not only keeps your body fit and in shape, but also calms the mind and helps bring out positive energy along with relieving stress. “Exercise essentially burns away the chemicals like cortisol and norepinephrine that cause stress. At the same time, vigorous exercise releases endorphins into the system. Endorphins are morphine-like hormones that are responsible for the feeling of elation, or well being that distance runners get from running” (Hupston). In my opinion a healthy mind is a happy mind and one to become happy with yourself is to achieve those personal goals you set for yourself and stay dedicated. “Exercise not only improves your appearance. It can also improve your health” (Madden 1). The Student Recreation Center offers a way to stay fit and healthy on top of so much more. It’s a place to lay out by the pool and hang out with friends, it’s a place to run and get your mind off things, a place to gain motivation and a place to gain happiness as well by changing an unhealthy lifestyle into a healthy one. This center is more than beneficial for the students of ASU and the community. In order to find happiness, one must first be happy with themselves, and what’s a better way to learn to be happy with yourself than to exercise daily and not only make yourself look better but can also make yourself feel better mentally and emotionally.

[Burgundi Tackitt]

In this project I intend to evaluate different regions in the SRC that have a particular meaning to me and describe each areas importance to this center and the positive aspects of each. One area I chose to explore was SRC recreational pool. People wouldn't necessarily consider lying out by the pool to be very useful besides the fact that it can give one color and maybe some rest and relaxation from a long week, but it can also burn calories. It's almost like "killing two birds with one stone" you get the chance to relax and hang out with your friends, but also burn calories by laying out while the sun is beating down on you, causing you to sweat. The second area I plan to evaluate is the elliptical area upstairs. Running is a great way of exercising simply because it works out your entire body as a whole. As a little girl I used to absolutely despise running, but then as I got older I soon realized how in shape it keeps you and that it's really not as hard as it seems once you get the hang of it.  Third, I chose to evaluate the snack bar downstairs. Although it’s not open all hours that the gym is open, it is very helpful to those who utilize the gym. It offers many things like waters, fruits, vegetables, protein shake, etc. All of these things promote a healthy lifestyle and are sold to students and members to make sure they are working out while staying hydrated. Then finally I picked the SRC Intramural fields to evaluate. The SRC fields are home to many practices late at night during the week and also games for the intramural sports. These fields provide a place to play sports either recreationally or professionally and help to keep people in shape by offering large amount of. It's very motivating to see people in such amazing shape; I strive to remain looking physically healthy, and it pushes me to work even harder to reach my personal goal.

Exercise and wellness as I previously stated before is very important to me. Although it gets very tiring going to the gym every day, it's not as much of a drag anymore because I know that I will gain results with each workout and eventually reach my personal fitness goals. Getting some daily exercise not only a way to keep in shape and stay healthy, it's also an escape from the everyday stress of schoolwork, life and other pressures that people are constantly dealing with. There are major health issues facing this particular generation due to the increased use of technology and it is very important to make sure that you are staying healthy and eating right in order to live a long and prosperous life. “There is growing public concern that this generation will suffer severe consequences if lifestyle changes are not implemented nationwide” (Rooks, 45). This is why exercise is so important and a center like ours at ASU is such a great example of the importance and necessity of exercising. I whole-heartedly believe that the SRC at ASU was an amazing investment. With all that it has to offer, it’s hard to prove that this center isn’t useful for students. Without the Student Recreation Center, students would have limited access to working out and continuing to live a healthy lifestyle. 

Works Cited:

 

Hupston, Fleur. Natural News [N/a], 2010

Madden, Johnathan. The Importance of Exercise Shamrock Eden Publishing, 2011

Miller, Christa. “What are the Health Benefits of Being Hydrated” Livestrong. 14 June 2011

Ray, Linda. “Benefit of Swimming as Exercise.” Livestrong. 31 March 2010

Rooks, Linsdsey. (2010). Masters Thesis. Journey to Wellness, 52 pages