Whether it’s staying up late to study, hanging out with friends or attending a sporting event, junk food is always readily available. In busy day-to-day college routines, students tend to over eat. Since college is so time consuming, the quickest choices are not always the best in terms of healthy eating.
Eating unhealthy or excessively, combined with a lack of physical activity, can cause noticeable weight gain, commonly referred to among college students as “the freshman fifteen.” Luckily Jones County Junior College provides a variety of ways that students can stay active and keep the pounds off.
Along with an outdoor walking track, Jones offers a free gym membership to all students who fill out the fitness center application online and present their student IDs when entering the gym. The fitness center is open Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday from 6 a.m.– 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon and is closed on Sundays. In addition to having equipment to accommodate any fitness goals, the gym also offers spin, palates, karate, yoga, Zumba and a boot camp.
“I think it is important to take care of your body,” said the fitness center’s August Member of the Month, Coco Caldwell. “It’s the only body you have, and you are responsible for it every day.”
“Even if I was really busy, I would at least workout for 30 minutes,” said Caldwell. “To me, a short workout is better than no workout at all. If you want something for yourself, never give up. You can do anything you set your mind to. Always remember your limit is yourself.”
The schedules and sign-up sheets for these activities and classes can be found at the front desk near the fitness center entrance. JCJC also offers students a nutrition class, good for three credit hours, that can help inform students on the type of foods to eat and how to prepare them.
by Kristen Feraci
