As Thanksgiving break comes to an end, Boston University’s Fitness and Recreation Center reopened on Sunday after closing for three days over the holiday. Many students who went to FitRec Sunday morning said after eating sizable and delicious meals, they felt obligated to hit the gym.
For College of Engineering junior Henok Haile, FitRec was the first place he wanted to go after coming back to school.
“I came back yesterday,” Haile said. “[FitRec] was my first stop this morning when it reopened. I haven’t worked out in five days. I took a break for about a week while with family, but it was time to get back into my routine.”
Members of the FitRec staff, however, said they didn’t see an increased number of students at the gym after Thanksgiving break.
Front desk operator Carlyn Soares said compared to other Sundays, the team actually saw a decreased number of students in the gym.
“There are way fewer people here today,” Soares said on Sunday. “We usually have kid classes here on Sundays down at aquatics, but because it’s Thanksgiving weekend, those classes are not taking place today. As far as students, I feel like most people are still away or traveling this weekend.”
Soares said that those who came to FitRec Sunday, and those who will be coming later in the week, are people who already consistently frequent the gym.
“Usually people who tend to come to the gym will continue to come to the gym, and those who do not will not,” Soares said. “Maybe [they will come] once or twice, but for the most part, once you get far enough into the season, people get into their routines — that doesn’t really change.”
Matt Dyer, another member of the FitRec staff, said that some students who would usually be working out on Sundays were most likely still traveling.
“We see a decreased amount just because it’s so close after Thanksgiving break,” the College of Arts and Sciences sophomore said. “Not a lot of students have come back yet, and when they do come back, their first thought isn’t to go to the gym.”
Nevertheless, a three-day break from the gym radically changes some people’s schedules, especially for students such as Marcus Hong, a junior in the School of Theology, who works out daily.
“The FitRec has been closed for the past few days,” Hong said. “Obviously for people who have a really strict workout schedule, three days is going to be a really big gap between two training sessions. I just wanted to get into the gym as soon as it reopened.”
Huan Zheng, a sophomore in CAS, said he usually is a gym-goer, and he felt the holiday season is an especially important time to work out.
“I normally work out every day, so I wanted to get back into the grind,” Zheng said. “I had a great meal — it’s now time to work that meal off.”
