Frigid winds whip across campus, blowing gusts of icy air as students look out their windows, lamenting the weather outside. They want to go outside, but they won't. With little daylight, dreary winter skies and frigid temperatures, many students just stay in bed with little desire to move around and get active.
While some are more affected by winter's harsh weather than others, UB offers a variety of different options for winter recreation and fitness. The Wellness Center and Recreation and Intramural Services offer fun and healthy activities for students looking to stay in shape throughout the season.
The Wellness Center works to "make you feel great and perform better in college," according to its website.
Offering advisement and information on fitness is a big part of that mission statement. Students tend to be more active than the general population, according to the Wellness Center, but its studies show that winter exercise habits for UB students are low in terms of recommended activity.
In a 2010 winter survey conducted by the Wellness Center, only 15 percent of students said they participated in 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic cardiovascular exercise most days out of the week. In addition, 57 percent said they met this level of activity between one and four days of the week, while 28 percent said they didn't meet this level at all. The numbers for vigorously intense activity were even lower.
For some, the weather takes a serious toll on motivation and daily activity.
"In the winter it's so cold that sometimes I don't even want to get out of bed which leaves me with no motivation to be active for the rest of the day," said Mitch Russell, a freshman physics major.
With a busy schedule filled with classes and other non-fitness related commitments, finding time for a dedicated workout can be difficult for Russell. During the non-winter months, students can take advantage of options like walks outside or simple outdoor recreation.
Students miss that in the winter.
"North Campus isn't a good location for people who don't have a car and can't find something active to do within the athletic complexes," Russell said. "The school does provide things for people to do, but sometimes you just feel like you're stuck here."
Sherri L. Darrow, Director of the Wellness Center, works alongside her staff to ensure that UB is a university that not only provides students with options for fitness, but also provides services on how to best use them.
"A lot of recreation depends on the individual and what works for different people," said Darrow. "We have resources here for students and we work to make them better. We have a lot of intramural sports clubs that go year round, and the Wellness Center offers free yoga classes through life and learning workshops. We have also worked with the recreation department to keep the gyms open later. "
These are just some of the options available on North Campus. UB also offers more adventurous activities for students who are bored with the usual gym session or recreational sport.
"There's also Winterfest, Schussmeister's, and things like that in the winter," Darrow said. "Other options would be the Northtown Center for ice skating and hockey, and there are even times when life and learning workshops or other people affiliated with UB offer things like snowshoeing or cross country skiing at Reinstein Woods."
Tyler Mancini, a freshman aerospace and mechanical engineering major, has been disappointed with his opportunities to ski this winter due to poor conditions. Despite the lack of snow, he has found other ways to continue his active lifestyle like lifting weights, swimming, and running.
"My whole life I've been active and I always need to be doing something, otherwise I get bored," Mancini said. "It's a good de-stressor, I enjoy it, and I can fit it easily into my schedule. If I couldn't work out, I would probably go crazy."
Mancini said that his outdoor job at the Delta Sonic car wash keeps him active and also provides a chance to get away from the feeling of being trapped indoors during the winter.
Being outside in the cold is rough sometimes but with multiple layers the time spent outside is worth it, according to Mancini.
When not at work, he uses a variety of the facilities at UB to keep himself entertained and in shape. His only complaint regards the crowds at the gym at Alumni Arena.
"At the peak hours it's always really crowded [at Alumni] and lots of people have to stand around waiting for weights," Mancini said. "If they didn't make it bigger I would like to at least see more little gyms spread out that are nicer than the existing ones. I would use the gym in Governors where I live, but it doesn't have a lot of the equipment that I like to use."
For serious gym enthusiasts like Mancini the Governors gym is not enough, but for others it serves as a perfect option to workout without trekking across campus in the wintery weather.
"The gym is very accessible, especially where I live in Governors Hall," said Vrinda Tarneja, a freshman biological sciences major. "I think everyone has their own list of priorities, but if you put being active at the top of that list it's easy to find something at UB."
As a former tennis player, Tarneja is normally accustomed to a more active lifestyle when winter is not in session. She has had to find new ways to expand her winter fitness endeavors since coming to UB.
Tarneja is a member of UB Zeal, an eight-member dance team that competes in different styles of dance. UB Zeal dances year round and most recently performed at International Fiesta in the Center For the Arts.
UB Zeal not only offers Tarneja a way to stay in touch with her culture, but also serves as an extraordinary way to stay active in the winter. The team practices two hours a day seven days a week when a competition is approaching.
On top of her dancing, Tarneja tries to get a gym session in every other day. She says that all of her activity is part of an extra effort she has made to stay healthy since coming to college.
"I think everyone gets scared of the ‘freshman fifteen,' so I was really motivated to be active when I came here," Tarneja said. "Exercising is a personal satisfaction. I think keeping a balance in your physical, mental, and emotional health will take you far in life."
Students looking to balance their fitness this winter can go online to check out Wellness Center services or visit 114 in the Student Union with questions. Readsh101.com/buffalo is a free online resource sponsored by the Wellness Center available to all UB students. The website offers videos with fitness tips and general information on staying healthy.
Email: features@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
