The upper floor of Montclair State’s Recreation Center houses the treadmills and ellipticals.
Photo by Victoria Testa
Hitting the books and stressing about papers and exams doesn’t have to be your only activity this semester. Montclair State University has so much to offer its students, one of those being the Student Recreation Center. By taking advantage of this “adult playground,” your time at Montclair State will be fun, beneficial and exciting.
The Montclair State Student Recreation Center, located on Webster Road across from The Heights, is a great way to meet new people, work on your fitness and health, relieve some stress and have a good time.
If you’ve never been in a gym before, don’t let it intimidate you – the recreation center is more than just a gym full of huge men lifting absurd amounts of weight with large grunts that follow. The gym is just a part of what the recreation center encompasses, but it is also a major element that you should use to your advantage.
There is a weight area, where all the basic lifting, squatting, pulling and pushing heavy things goes on. On the second floor, there are even more machines and cables, as well as a large quantity of cardio machines. Also, if you’re looking to start using this equipment but don’t know how, don’t worry. The recreation center offers multiple certified trainers to help you reach your goals.
If you’re not looking to lift weights or get your cardio on using the machines, the recreation center allows you to achieve and maintain your fitness through various other outlets, including intramural and club sports, exercise classes like yoga, spin and kickboxing, ping pong tables, racquetball courts, basketball courts and a pool with different types of aquatic activities.
The recreation center also offers a program called “Outdoor Adventure” that allows students to get out in the community and surrounding areas. They offer trips like canoeing, hiking, camping, rock climbing and even seasonal events like pumpkin picking.
Being a college student and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle can be tough. That is why the recreation center is there. Use it to your advantage to stay in shape, feel good and relieve some of the stress that comes with starting a new semester or being at school.
If you’re still not convinced the recreation center is your cup of tea, it even offers health programs to students. There, they provide services to develop healthy behaviors and nutrition goals and guidelines.
Besides the recreation center being a place where you can actively move your body, it is also a place where you can just stop in to hang out, chill and socialize. There’s a giant TV that students can sit around and either watch a big game or even play video games together. No matter what year you are, meeting new people and making more friends is one of the best ways to make your time at Montclair State fun and memorable.
No matter what exercise, activity or involvement background you come from, there is something for you at the Montclair State University Student Recreation Center. Students enter free, so make use of all that it has to offer.
The Student Recreation Center is open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to midnight.
