Working It!

New Year’s Resolutions to Better Fitness

By DJ Haffely and
      Maggi Stivers

The evening is dark and the crowds are large. It’s New Year’s Eve, and among all the cheers and midnight kisses, people begin to think of what they want out of 2011. Resolutions to find a job, find love, study harder, hold on to loose change, and even losing weight are typical of midwestern college students. “My main New Year’s resolution is to be more active,” said a BSU freshman, Emily Malterud.

Weight loss is the most common New Years resolution among BSU students in an informal study. Due to pressure from media and peers, the New Year justifies everyone to actually stick to a plan and be fit.

Now the holiday presents now all opened and ready to be used, the gaming systems were at the top of many gift lists. According to VGCharts.com that gives statistics on video games, the gameWii Fit Plus has sold 17,752 copies since its release 68 months ago; the average number sold weekly is 162, 602 and growing strong in the New Year.

Game systems such as Xbox and PlayStation have been competitive with the Nintendo Wii in terms of making their players experience physical activity with the games. The Xbox released the Kinect and Playstation has The Move.

People who take their resolution of weight loss seriously realize they can do their workouts right in their dorm rooms. The convenience of being able to exercise right then and there, people realize their resolution can be successful.

A few popular games are Wii Fit, Just Dance 2 and Mario vs. Sonic: Olympic Games. The Wii Fit, for example, allows users to keep track of their progress and how many calories are burned by doing different activities. Possible activities include yoga, aerobics, strength-training and balance. Just Dance 2 provides dance moves for popular songs and lets users dance along. Mario Vs. Sonic: Olympic Games lets users participate in Olympic events, including running, pole vaulting and several more.

College students also have facilities available on campus where they can work to achieve their New Year’s resolution to get fit. The Gillette Center gives students many options to work out: a rock climbing wall, a weight room, a swimming pool, a track, basketball courts, racquetball courts and exercise equipment. “New Year's is always a great excuse to hit the gym!” said Emily Wendland. “It’s that little extra push of motivation to get you moving.”

Students can also take classes, including yoga, boot camp training, and several more. These classes do cost money but are cheaper for BSU students than the general public.  Students can also reach their weight-loss goals by joining an intramural team. Hockey, basketball and indoor socce

r are all offered this season. “I love using the weight room and running on the track with my friends,” said Spencer John, a BSU junior. On a recent weekday afternoon at the Gillette Center, many students worked out on exercise machines and ran on the track.

Kierstin Hoven, director of campus recreation said, “With finals and semester ending in December, student numbers were lower.” During the entire month of the December, a total of 5,694 students used the Gillette Center. Hoven added, “With increased enrollment, cold wea

ther, and a new semester, the student numbers are way up.” During the month of January, 6,489 students have scanned their student identification cards to check in.

Although losing weight and becoming fit is a common goal for the New Year, Keith Hartung, an Ezine online author wrote, “While 52% of all of the participants in a resolution study believed that they would accomplish their goals, only 12% actually achieved them.”  

Emily Wendland works her core by playing Wii Fit.

Many people go to the Gillette Center to work off the holiday pounds.






Photos by DJ Haffely