3 Great Ways to Encourage Student Fitness
The level at which a university encourages overall student fitness affects many aspects of students’ busy lives and is essential to attracting new students. They don’t have a sports scholarship to take interest in a school’s healthy students quota; student health is becoming a larger deciding factor by the day. Exercising boosts student’s energy levels, overall mood, and ability to retain more information. Therefore, they are more likely to view your university in a positive light if it provides good fitness opportunities. This week, TRUE Fitness has three techniques that you should consider for your university:
- Host exercise-worthy events that are accessible to all fitness levels
- Upgrade walkways on and off campus
- Invest in a better recreation center
Hosting Campus-Wide Events
The college experience is about more than academics. It’s about getting involved, trying new things, and feeling like an adult. Hosting a fun fitness event gets students excited to participate in a big activity while keeping active at the same time. Common popular student fitness events include:
- Marathons (full marathons, half-marathons, color runs, etc.)
- Capture the flag competitions
- Flag-football leagues
When it comes to creating campus-wide events, creativity is key. These activities can be used to sponsor and raise awareness about a disease, encourage alumni to join in the fun, or interact with the surrounding community. Consider pitting teachers against students or major against major for some healthy competition. Lastly, there’s nothing more intriguing than a random school legacy. You can accomplish this trend by making your school’s activities annual events to keep students eager and excited year after year.
Building More Accessible Walkways
Even if your university’s students commute to the campus, walking from building to building is a big part of the average student’s life. Improving your walkways is an easy way to encourage students to walk to and from classes more often without cutting across open spaces. Expensive brick or stone walkways may look fancy, but universities whose walkways have smooth, reliable surfaces like concrete or asphalt are more enjoyable for walking, running, biking, skateboarding, etc. In addition, adding various routes enables students to choose between the most direct way to class if they’re in a rush and the more meandering paths if they have five minutes to spare.
Improving Student Recreation Centers
Todays students have come to expect quality recreation centers from their university. Providing students with a state-of-the-art fitness center that is easily accessible from all corners of your university’s campus is vital to encouraging student fitness. The convenience of having a fitness facility that is better than local clubs will make it easier for students to hit the gym more regularly. Keeping the recreation centers equipped with commercial workout equipment is essential to entice students towards healthier lifestyles. Commercial-grade equipment is built for the long-haul and can handle many hours of heavy use.