Research Sources: Places to Exercise on Campus

When I was given this assignment I was lost as to what topic I wanted to do. I had nothing in mind but after a couple of days of thinking about it I came up with my idea. Earlier in the week I had been thinking about all of the areas on campus where it is good to exercise and I decided to research it and use this topic for my second project. I think exercise is a very important aspect of a college student’s life because it helps us relief stress and stay healthy but many don’t realize that exercise can be done outside the gym and in many different ways. I am aware that the most obvious place to exercise on campus is the Student Recreation Center, but I really wanted to evaluate and analyze this place along with three other (not so obvious) places that are commonly used to exercise. In order to evaluate this topic I will walk around campus and locate where most people are exercising and probably even use an interview or survey.  

The first place I am going to evaluate is “A” mountain. This is a popular place for students and others who live near the mountain to take a nice hike and enjoy a great view. In order to evaluate the hike up to “A” mountain I will hike it myself and use the newspaper article “Take a Hike” by Kate Rew from the Sunday Times. This two page article mentions that walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise because it is considered to have low intensity and show quick increase in muscle toning, strength, and stamina.   This article interests me because it shows statistics and because I can relate it to my life. It states that walking also reduces stress, improve our self-image, and reduce depression which are aspects that many college students need help with.

Another place I am going to evaluate is the intramural fields by Hassayampa and the Student Recreation Center.  I have noticed that in the evenings many people go out there to play sports and run around the field. In order to evaluate these fields I am going to reference to the observations I make and to the book Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals 5^th Edition by Christine A. Rosenbloom. This 499 page book talks about all the important aspects of being an athlete and exercising to your full potential. Even though I haven’t read the entire book I have read sections and it seems like it gives a good understanding about sports and how this type of exercise can help your health.

The last place I am sure I am going to write about in this project is the Student Recreation Center which is the most popular place to exercise on campus. This is the place I mostly go to which will allow me to use personal experience in my evaluation. Along with my experiences I will also reference to the newspaper article, “Reflecting on gym culture while huffing and puffing: Focusing on the exercise, not the mirrors, proves to be a challenge” by Karina Roman from the Ottawa Citizen. This two page article goes into detail about the culture at a gym and it was interesting to me because it brings up the point that people mostly go to the gym because of vanity and not for their health.

I am still not sure about my fourth place that I am going to evaluate but am still looking for ideas.