At UT Martin, we have a really awesome recreation center. Before my sophomore year at UTM, I could count a number of times that I went to the rec on one hand. My roommate is the one who actually pushed me to go with her since I thought that working out was not fun at all. Turns out going to the rec was one of the smartest decisions that I made during my time at UTM because I found a way to enjoy working out.
The thing that I love about our rec is that they have all kinds of group fitness classes. If you are interested in cardio, yoga or weights, you can take classes that cater to these interests. Another perk of using the fitness classes is you don’t have to plan out a workout, which is great for me because I don’t have time to do that for myself.
Another reason that I would recommend going to the rec is that I find it to be a good stress reliever since I am on the go from the moment that I wake up until my homework/studying is done. Going to the rec is a good break for me to de-stress and focus on myself instead of everything else going on in my life. My roommate would always drag me to the rec unwillingly most nights because I had so much to do, but I always came back from the fitness classes feeling better and more focused.
Going to the rec is a great way to feel great about yourself, but also to de-stress and focus on yourself for a little while. Every time I attend one of the classes at the rec, our cool down involves the instructor leading us in a deep exhaled breath to forget about the bad things that are going on, and then we inhale good thoughts and positive vibes. After I do this ritual, I always feel better because I was able to get away from classwork or other things that I have going on. I think that the recreation center strives to allow the students at UTM to feel positive vibes by the time they end their workouts.
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