Whether you love or hate it, exercise is a crucial component to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
This is even more important in college, whether you are in graduate school or are an undergraduate. Classes, studying, and more use your time and energy, which often makes staying healthy a lower priority. You may find it easy to grab a frozen meal instead of cooking, miss a workout or two, or let stress interfere with your life in other ways. However, staying active doesn’t have to be hard, especially with all the University of Arkansas and Fayetteville have to offer!
https://urec.uark.edu/facilities/fitness-centers/donna-axum-fitness-center/
Gyms on Campus
If you like to work out at a gym or are curious about trying one, you have numerous options on campus. As a student, you will have access to well-furnished gyms in both the HPER building and the UREC Fitness Center in the Arkansas Union. Both gyms feature a full range of strength and cardio equipment, as well as free weights. Your student fee covers the cost of access to both facilities, so unlike gyms off-campus, there is no extra cost to you.
Prefer to go off-campus? You can find gyms all over town that suit a student budget. Many national gym chains have large locations spread around Fayetteville, but you can find small local or regional chains as well. Interested in a niche activity? Fayetteville and the surrounding cities also contain many gyms and studios for those interested in yoga, kickboxing, CrossFit®, rock climbing, and more.
https://urec.uark.edu/fitness/group-fitness/class-schedule/
Fitness Classes and More
Dozens of niche fitness activities can be found on-campus as well. If you are more comfortable exercising in a group setting, free group fitness classes are readily available at the University of Arkansas! At both the HPER and UREC Fitness Center, there are options like Zumba® and Cardio Dance (for those who like to dance), numerous daily yoga sessions (for those who like to flow), and even classes like P90X®, Cycling and Pilates Fusion (for those who like to sweat)! These courses are also an excellent way to make friends outside of your classes and program of study. For a full list of courses and times, visit the University Recreation Group Fitness Schedule page.
For those more comfortable in a small group or one-on-one setting, UREC also offers Small Group Training or Personal Training sessions. These sessions do have a cost but are led by certified personal trainers who can craft a custom fitness plan for you. Don’t forget to schedule a massage after you work out as well – also available in the HPER building!
Exercise is Medicine
Another outlet for physical activity is the Exercise is Medicine (EIM) on-campus initiative. This outreach program was launched in fall 2018 and promotes the use of exercise for better health through various events on campus and in the community. By increasing daily physical activity on campus and providing tools for students, faculty and staff to strengthen healthy physical activity habits, overall campus health can be improved.
The first field day was held in October of 2018 at the Chi Omega Greek Theater and featured fun group activities like obstacle courses, Spike Ball, and wheelbarrow and sack races.
https://news.uark.edu/articles/45189/exercise-is-medicine-s-field-day-oct-23
Hit the Trails
Another fun way for you to get active in Fayetteville is by exploring the Razorback Regional Greenway. This paved, mixed-use trail extends for 36 miles from Fayetteville all the way to Bentonville. Walkers, runners, skaters, cyclists and more can navigate to and from campus from much of Northwest Arkansas without ever having to share the road with a car, while experiencing beautiful sights along the way.
Don’t have a bike? No worries! The University of Arkansas and the city of Fayetteville have partnered to launch the VeoRide bikeshare program. You can simply download the VeoRide mobile app, pay a small fee and unlock one of dozens of standard or electric-assist bikes for personal use. The pricing is affordable as well: students can buy an annual pass for only $35. Bikes are regularly distributed throughout the city, including downtown Fayetteville, along city trails and all across campus, so you will always have a way to hit the trails.
Let’s Get Moving
An object at rest stays at rest, but an object in motion stays in motion. During your time in school, whether at the University of Arkansas or elsewhere, it is important to stay in motion.
Exercise is a great way to remain physically healthy but can also contribute toward social and mental well-being and get people involved in their community. Fortunately, there are many options to help you stay healthy through physical activity at the University of Arkansas or in Fayetteville.
So, what are you waiting for – let’s get moving!
