A Workout at Western

The Wade King Recreation Center offers the students at Western Washington University a variety of different workout options, but also gives the community of Bellingham those same options. From weight lifting to running to swimming laps, this center seems to have it all. “First opened in 2003, the Wade King Student Recreation Center is a state of the art open recreation fitness and wellness facility that has been created and shaped by the vision and support of Western students. Through a referendum process, students voted to assess themselves a fee to construct and operate a facility that would provide quality recreational space on campus” (wwu.edu). This means that students wanted a place where they could work out and enjoy themselves, and I think the rec center is the perfect place for that and so much more. It also allows community members all its benefits and wonders.

I decided to check this place out with the hopes that it would be a good place for me to at least try to start working out at, since the gyms in my hometown lack in the variety department and the nearest YMCA takes a half an hour to get to. In my hometown of Port Orchard, Washington, the gyms are very strange. They are small, crowded, and the variety is lacking. There are only basic machines like ellipticals and treadmills and weights. There aren’t any pools or courts to play basketball or volleyball in, and there also aren’t any side rooms that could be used for a yoga or Zumba class. However, the YMCA that is relatively close is extremely nice. It has everything you would expect to see in a gym, so basically everything that the gyms in my hometown do not. It is a beautiful facility and I think that the rec center is right on par with it.

Upon walking into the center, I was immediately impressed. Typically when you walk into a gym, you expect to see lots of sweaty people working hard and pushing themselves as well as a variety of different things you could do to make your workout the best that it possibly can. You can run, lift weights, swim laps, climb a stair machine, climb a rock wall, or play basketball, and I saw even more than just that. You will also people getting a bite to eat or studying, which are great things especially for a college gym since it gives students a good place to spend their time for pleasure and purpose. For those not in college, the couches and lounge area at the entrance provides for a nice, comfortable place to have some coffee and do work.

For Western students, admission to the Rec Center is included in tuition, but for community members, there is a small fee. After you pay the fee, you have full access to the entire gym for the day, so it is essentially like the YMCA in that regard. There area lot of different workouts you could do no matter what your skill level or capability, which is really nice for those who are trying to feel out the place. If you’re more advanced, you could lift weights or run for a half an hour, but if you’re there to just get a basic workout in, you can use a bike machine or swim a bit. I, however, tolerate running, so I went upstairs to the cardio area after putting my things in the locker room. The cardio area had many different types of machines ranging from ellipticals and treadmills to bike machines and stair climbers, all of which had at least one open machine to use. The machines were really easy to use. Just press “quick start” and you’re off. They even have timers to track the length of your workout and graphs to show your workout pattern. There are also mats to work out on, which my friend, Jessica Vangel, said is her favorite part, “I really like the mats because you have the freedom to do whatever you please and calisthenics is my favorite way to work out. You can really feel the progress you’ve made” (Jessica Vangel). Overall, the cardio area is a very easy place to work in and is extremely helpful towards reaching goals since you can see your workout right in front of you and physically feel the difference.

For someone who is not physically fit and not fully comfortable working out in a large group, I oddly felt comfortable while at the rec center. I felt as if no one cared that I was heavily breathing and walking on a treadmill after sprinting for just 10 seconds even if the person next to me had had a nice, steady run going for the past 10 minutes. There were people of all ages and sizes and capabilies we still all seemed to still be able to keep our business to ourselves. It was a really great experience and there’s just something more comfortable and accepting about the rec center on campus than at any other gym I’ve ever tried out.

After my weak 35 minute jog/walk on the treadmill, my friend and I decided we were done and headed down to the locker room to change into our swimsuits to go relax in the hot tub. The locker room was jam packed full of other women getting ready to go work out, swim, or go home. The aisles were full of wet swimsuits and sweaty gym clothes, leaving for a very distinct smell, but also showing the dedication that people have to their workouts. Even with all the commotion, there still somehow managed to be enough room for my friend and I. We quickly changed, showered off, and then headed out to the hot tub, which was by far my favorite part. It was nice, warm, and really big. You could fit 20 people easily in that thing. The jets made for a really nice back massage and relaxed our sore muscles after our workouts.

I also really enjoyed how quiet it was in the entire pool area. Only a few people were swimming laps, and “while classes are in session, the pool opens 30 minutes after the building opens and closes one hour before the building closes. At least two lanes will be open for lap swim at all times” (wwu.edu). This means that you can go for a relaxing swim whenever you want and avoid the chaos of the workout equipment. Another great thing about the pool is that you can rent it out for birthday parties or any other event that you would need a pool for. It is open to everyone. Even though there were not many people in the pool, there were even fewer people in the hot tub with us, and we still felt very comfortable and relaxed as we all kept to ourselves, which is typically what one would expect in a hot tub. The entire atmosphere was soothing and calming. It almost felt as if we were in a completely different building when compared to the commotion going on just above us where people were aggressively working out and pushing themselves to achieve their goals.

Once I decided to leave and stepped outside of the center and took that first breath of fresh air, I felt refreshed and fulfilled. I felt that my time spent at the Wade King Rec Center was time well spent. I got a good workout in for someone who is just starting to venture into the world of health and fitness, but I also got to relax and enjoy myself at the end of it. I didn’t feel overwhelmed or judged which I think is probably the most important aspect of a gym to someone who is new. The whole environment was warm and welcoming and I can definitely see myself going there frequently and trying new things every time to improve my workout. Overall, the rec center on campus is definitely a great place to go whether you’re new to working out like I am or not. There is definitely something for everyone, even if it’s just getting a bite to eat.

Bibliography

Vangel, Jessica. Personal Interview. 1/24/2016

WWU Campus Recreation Services. About Campus Recreation. 2016. Web. 1/24/2016

WWU Campus Recreation Services. Aquatics. 2016. Web. 1/24/2016