School is stressful. Many students will sit at computers for hours a day, paralyzed by the looming due dates and great expectations their lovely professors have bestowed upon them. They try to stay in the moment, key in and get the work done, but the anxiety of chasing academic excellence constantly stalls their productivity. There may be no better cure to the everyday stresses of life than getting up, moving around, lifting heavy things or taking long walks, jogs, or runs. And the antidote to academic agony is available right on campus here at ACC.
The fitness center, located in the Littleton Campus Annex Building, is available to ACC students free of charge. They are open from 6 a.m to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday. Members can enjoy access to free weights, Expresso video upright bikes, treadmills with built-in desktops for studying, indoor pickleball and basketball courts, outdoor tennis courts and much more.
“It’s really similar to if you were to go to 24 Hour Fitness or anything like that,” fitness and recreation manager Derek Kates said. “We can offer the equivalency of everything they offer.”
Students, staff and Littleton locals alike have created unique connections exercising at the fitness center. The facilities are open to the general public for a small fee, and the gym holds a Silver Sneakers program for seniors aged 65 and older.
“Because we are a public gym and because we have the Silver Sneakers, you can be working out next to someone who’s 18 or 80,” fitness instructor and personal trainer Patty Adams said. “There’s tons of interaction between the generations here and that’s the neatest thing.”
Encouraging the ACC campus and surrounding community to take care of their health, the fitness center hosts a myriad of exercise-friendly events. Last week, the facility held a Wellness Week, challenging students to spend time each day completing a physical activity for a chance to win prizes. On Sept. 20 and 21, they held their yearly student versus staff dodgeball event, an event that has become one of their most popular fixtures.
Down the road, the fitness center plans to hold many unique challenges and activities, such as the Witness the Fitness challenge involving Halloween costumes, along with another Wellness Week, emphasizing staying healthy during the holiday season.
“It’s amazing how a smaller thing that is built around the campus itself can build a community,” Kates said. “I think there’s a lot of opportunities here to build relationships with us but also with other students and staff members.”
