Laker Life

GVL / James Brien
Get Buff For Break

Wellness Center helps beat winter slump through Get Buff for Break

By Brittney Mestdagh GVL Staff Writer
2/3/2010

With spring break only a month away, students head to the gym to shed the holiday pounds and fulfill New Year's resolutions in anticipation of warmer weather.

Get Buff for Break is a program organized by the Fitness and Wellness Center to encourage students to get active. The six-week program began Jan. 25 and wraps up March 5 as an incentive for students and staff to get healthy. Students, faculty and staff can register for the program online free of charge.

"Campus Recreation puts it on as a way to motivate people to keep their resolutions and get ready for spring break," said Jocelyn Bunce, a graduate assistant at the Fitness and Wellness Center.

Bunce helps manage the Web site used to record participants' progress. Participants log the activity, date and duration of their workouts. They choose from a list of activities from competitive basketball games to group exercises to shoveling snow.

The program awards points based on the activity and duration, Bunce said. For example, a student walking for 30 minutes earns 18 points where as a student running for 30 minutes earns 21 points. A list of point values for each activity is not available as the computer program calculates all the points.

As of Monday, sophomore Michelle Donald ranked sixth out of 419 participants.

"I am a big competitor," she said. "It is nice to see where you rank. It keeps you even more motivated to go further."

Donald purchased a group exercise pass through Campus Recreation for the land and spin classes. She said she attends two classes a day. Her workout routine also includes participating in Dance Troupe and running on the treadmill.

"Each week you can assign a point goal," Donald said. "This week mine is 350 points."

At the end of the week, the Web site will give participants a percentage of how much of their goal they accomplished.

"It gives me a boost to keep working out," said junior Kalena Murphy.

Murphy's workout routine consists of group exercises, elliptical machines and cardio. Murphy said she wants to work out three hours a week and lose three pounds a week.

Once she finishes with her workout, Murphy said she feels energized and refreshed.

"A lot of students slack because they get too stressed," she said. "Exercise is the easiest way to relieve stress."

Bunce noticed an increase in students and staff flocking to the gym, though she did not credit this increase as a result of the program. More people go to the gym to fulfill resolutions and personal exercise goals, she said.

Bunce said she expects the number of participants to increase from last year when there were 1,500 to 2,000 participants. This year there are 1,000 people registered so far.

Get Buff for Break does offer prizes at the end of the program to those willing to participate. However, to deter dishonest entries, prizes are not disclosed until the program ends.

"When the program is over, participants are ranked high to low and prizes are based on that," Bunce said. "Everyone gets something, but the top finishers will get extra."

Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to register online at http://www.gvsu.edu/rec/getbuff.

bmestdagh@lanthorn.com

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