Wow! Women’s Fitness!
A Brief Introduction To St. Lawrence’s Newest Student Organization
Despite the semester coming to a rapid close, there is still much to be done in the next two weeks before finals. Considering the amount of stress that accompanies most students during this gruesome academic stretch, I figured I would take the time to highlight a new silver lining on campus: the introduction of St. Lawrence’s very first Women’s Fitness Club.
Although the club has not yet hosted many events, I conveniently serve as President. As such, I can compensate for our current lack of campus involvement by providing background on the inspiration behind the group, cueing you into our vision for the future, and informing you of our upcoming event next week (please attend).
The inspiration for Women’s Fitness came to me at the end of the summer, after I had reached the difficult decision not to continue as a member of the Women’s XCTF team here at St. Lawrence. After finalizing my choice, I began to contemplate how I could best implement fitness into my routine as an “in-season” college student come the beginning of the semester. Upon reaching out to some of my close friends outside the team, I realized I was not alone in feeling that there was little opportunity for women on campus to come together specifically to engage in endurance training, if not at the collegiate level. At first, this reality saddened me, in part because I felt for my friends who had felt excluded from a fitness community throughout their college experience, and in part because I felt as though I had put myself in a somewhat lonely position with no real solution.
After some more thinking, I concluded that I had one of two choices: accept that not being a student athlete anymore meant not training at the level or with the community I desired, or take it upon myself to create such an environment. From there, I connected with others I thought might be interested in participating, started brainstorming the reality of actually starting a women’s fitness club, and eventually put the idea into action.
The idea behind Women’s Fitness, as it stands now, is simple: we seek to create a safe space for women (and others, if they so desire) to come together on campus to pursue fitness in whatever medium and at whatever intensity suits them. We recognize that the concept of “fitness” is incredibly versatile, and everyone is at a different level when it comes to physical ability. Thus, we hope to host a variety of lead activities to make the group as accessible as possible to the majority of women. Whether you like to go on leisurely walks, want to build some basic strength, or are training for something specific like a half-marathon, we hope to be a hub of support!
As this group is still so new, we are still trying to gauge interest and figure out a feasible structure for meetings going forward. Ideally, we will meet a few times a week beginning in the spring semester, offering outdoor endurance-based work to start–for example, picking one loop that participants can either come to walk, bike or run–followed by some optional strength training in the gym. However, we would also like to host events that seek to support female athletes in their fitness endeavors vicariously. Some ideas include holding a “Watch Party of the Week,” wherein club members go to support a collegiate women’s game, match, or meet here on campus; seminars wherein more qualified individuals share information on fitness, nutrition and hormonal health for women; gear swaps where people can bring old athletic clothes to exchange, and more.
Though there is still much to be determined, we on the Women’s Fitness Executive Board are incredibly excited about the opportunity to foster a positive environment on campus for those interested to come together, share ideas, and self-improve. Despite being a group marketed to women, we would love anyone who is inspired to attend some of our future events! Be sure to catch us this coming Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 3 p.m. outside the Student Center for an incredibly lowkey, stress-releaving walk around town during finals season. It should be a great time, but it will certainly be better if you’re in attendance!