Despite tests and quizzes, students have been making it a routine to get in a workout at the Recreation and Wellness Center often.
According to Leanne Greene, assistant director of campus recreation marketing, the rec center’s group fitness participants has increased from 23,834 in 2013 to 36,472 in 2014.
Despite the high attendance, there do seem to be some patterns with students and their workout habits.
“Over the past two or three weeks, there have been these people in my class who I’ve never seen before,” said Audrey Nolan, sophomore in human resource management, and Glide-N-Ride teacher at the rec center.
Nolan said she has noticed distinct patterns in the amount of people who come to group fitness classes depending on what time of the year it is.
A busy time at the rec center, Nolan said, are the weeks leading up to spring break.
Nolan said students flock to the rec center once March hits to try and get in some last minute workouts before they make their way to the beach.
However, the most crowded time of year, Nolan said, is right after winter break when students have just returned to campus. Nolan said students who have been lying around eating all break are trying to get back into their routines, and keep up with their New Year’s resolutions by hitting the gym.
During the period of time in between January and March, Nolan said, attendance in group fitness seems to dwindle down because of tests, and even lack of motivation.
Anne Scott Wright, sophomore in nursing and Butts & Guts teacher, agreed that with spring comes motivation.
“Lots of people come in the spring because it’s closer to summer, and the sun is out so they are motivated,” Wright said.
Greene also agreed and said spring is definitely one of the most popular seasons for group fitness.
According to Greene, there has been a 70 percent participation rate for all students at Auburn this year, which is extremely high.
Greene said the rec center worked hard all summer adding more group fitness classes, adjusting the group fitness schedules to coincide better with classes, and even placing 4500 personalized brochures in dorms.
While spring seems brings in the most amount of students to the rec, Greene said fall is busy as well. Students who are just settling in have free time, and seem to migrate to the rec to help pass some time.
Greene also said fall is populated because of the new freshman arriving to bump up the numbers.
While the attendance patterns do exist, Greene said the rec center went from 33.5 percent of freshman attendance in spring of 2013, to 84 percent in the fall of 2014, and works hard to constantly increase those numbers.
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