By Michael Farrell

The Rec and Fitness Center is a place that allows OCCC’s community to get in shape and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The Rec and Fitness Center is a place that gives students and faculty access to a gym, a basketball court, yoga studios, and a private fitness studio. They are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday through Friday.

Even though the Rec and Fitness Center is offered to all faculty and students, many report it is underutilized, even though the Rec and Fitness Center has equipment that is only a few years old.

“The difference between this gym and other colleges like OU or OCU is the low traffic. This is pretty average for us,” staff member Jonah Anderson said.

While that may have taken a bit more work over the past few years, the space has been open without any restrictions for several months.

Since the traffic is low, it’s safe to say not too many newcomers to campus know what is offered there.

Erica Jackson is 53 and comes into the gym as a veteran.

“I love it, it’s quiet, you’re not exposed to a bunch of people. I love the equipment, you have many options. The people I have met here, I love, I also like the staff,” Jackson said.

The people that do come here have enjoyed their time, just like Jackson and Anderson.

“We really have everything you could need for a conventional gym, that another gym that you would pay for would have. I canceled my gym membership and primarily train here,” Anderson said.

The equipment offered at the Rec and Fitness Center is somewhat new, having been replaced in the last four to five years.

The Rec and Fitness Center offers everything any other gym would have. There are free weights and machines like a seated chest press and a squat machine. There are also benches and dumbbell racks.

In a separate area, there is a cardio section. There are treadmills, two stair climbers, two Jacob’s ladders and an assortment of elliptical and bike machines. two stair climbers, two Jacob’s ladders Next to the treadmills and stair climbers is a heavy punching bag and a few more machines for things like bicep curls and leg presses.

They also have a basketball court, a yoga studio and a private fitness studio. However, there are not any group classes going on at the moment.

Still, there is plenty for people to enjoy and get in shape.

At the beginning of the pandemic in spring 2020, the Rec and Fitness Center was open by appointment only, according to reporting at the time from the Pioneer.

These were hourly appointments that would naturally slow things down a bit.

As such, the Rec and Fitness Center has been experiencing slow traffic for a while now.

Basketball courts also had their occupancy limited during the pandemic. This was also the time when the classes that are offered here were ended.

While things like the fitness classes are still unavailable you can go to the gym without an appointment and also use the basketball courts with others.

Not too many people may be going to OCCC’s Rec and Fitness at the moment but maybe that’ll change in the future.

They are offering plenty of equipment for just about any workout. There are also going to be more classes like yoga. You can also go use the basketball court if that is what you are into. If you are looking for a place to get in shape and stay healthy the Rec and Fitness Center just might have what you are looking for.

To get to the Rec and Fitness Center go to the southwest side of campus to parking lot E or F near the Social Science Center, then enter at SSC-2.