Rec Center offers hope, help for CBU community members who fall off their “wagon”

Riverside, Calif. (Jan. 19, 2017)—For those who may have already broken New Year’s resolutions of getting into shape, do not fret; there is still hope, said Stefani Plummer, director of the Recreation Center at California Baptist University.

Plummer said the staff at the Rec Center wants to help people make realistic health resolutions.

“What was your wagon?” is a question that the staff commonly asks individuals seeking help for fitness and health goals, said Plummer. The question is intended to find out why a person has quit or stopped a workout routine.

“We want to help them from the get-go, to set realistic goals so that they’re actually successful and it becomes a lifestyle,” Plummer said. “The CBU Recreation Center is committed to making sure that the entire CBU community is fit and well.”

The Rec Center, which is open to all CBU students, faculty, staff and their spouses, offers cardio and strength-training equipment, basketball and racquetball courts, a climbing and bouldering wall and a turf track. Additionally, the Rec Center offers group classes such as boxing boot camp, step, cycle and Zumba.

“Versatility is the key,” Plummer said. “That’s what keeps people from getting bored. You’re changing it up and you’re constantly keeping yourself invigorated.”

The Rec Center also provides personal training sessions. Gym-goers can receive eight sessions per semester. They also can meet with a personal trainer for a fitness assessment to help determine their goal and how to reach it. Additionally, fitness programs, such as “ARC attack” (using the elliptical machine) or “Olympic Weightlifting” (teaching technique) or “Couch to 5K” (training for a 5K race) are offered.

Joe Fix, fitness program coordinator at CBU, said the personal training and fitness programs teach people how to integrate fitness into a lifestyle.  

Sydney Smith, a graphic design senior who goes to the gym almost every day, said she appreciates the Rec Center.

“If you start going to the gym a bit more, you start thinking about what you’re going to eat a bit more. You start becoming healthier,” Smith said.

Smith also said that the Rec Center offers a place to relax from the stresses of a class projects.

With all the options, there is something for everyone at the Rec Center, Plummer said.

“We’re trying to promote healthy lifestyles, not quick fixes,” Plummer said. “We’re creating a lifestyle that allows you to be fit in whatever season of life that you’re in.”