Pingaphobia

By Merri Collins

About fifteen girls streamed into the group fitness room on the second floor of Ping Center. They all seemed to know exactly what they were doing, and most of them had great bodies, or at least this is the way it seemed to Carolyn Menyes, a freshman at Ohio University, and a first time visitor to Ping. As more people entered the room Carolyn sat down on her mat beside a few of her friends, feeling a little unsure of herself. Never much of an athlete she was a virgin to the workout routine. As the instructor started the upbeat music the chatter of the class grew quiet and everyone started to mimic the poses. “We did this thing where our legs were in the air and I was shaking” she said. “I felt like all these people were like ‘come on.’ It was intimidating” She made it out of the class that evening with dignity still intact, but she felt more relief than accomplishment. Carolyn has not been back to Ping since.

Carolyn is not the only student with these feelings of intimidation when going to exercise at the large on campus facility. Most students can be categorized into three types of Ping attendees: Those who work out on a regular basis, those who seldom go to the gym and those who never go, who feel as if playing Wii fit is just as excruciating as running the track. The latter is relatable for many students on campus.

It is hard to get motivated with all of the other pressures and responsibilities we students have. At the end of a long day of exams and homework, most students would probably rather sit back order D.P. Dough and watch South Park in their pajamas than go to a group fitness class or run on a tread mill for an hour. But these things will not help you ward off the dreaded freshman 15 or fit into the jeans you wore in high school. So what can you do?

The initial thought of most students who are not used to a fitness routine is that when they go to Ping, everyone will be watching judging their progress and their actions. However Ping fitness director Sarah Shore thinks that Ping “is not as intimidating as a home gym environment, because when you go to a home gym there are a lot of older individuals there who are meatheads. Here there is a lot wider variety of people”

You do not have to be good at everything Ping has classes that start at the 100 level and move up. Shore added that no one should be afraid of the equipment, if you do not know how something works the Ping employees are there to help.

“We have probably 1.5 million worth of movable fitness equipment; I require the criteria for buying equipment as ease of use, because we don’t want to leave people feeling intimidated by the equipment.” said Hafedh Benhadj, Ping’s director. “If it is complicated, we do not buy it.” All this equipment means that people are immersed in their own routines, without giving a second glance to what you are doing.

“Exercise is a big stress reliever. However, when people are not used to it they tend to find working out more of a stress,” said Ping fitness instructor Carolyn Zimmerman. She recommends focusing on clearing your mind and not worrying about how many pounds you need to lose or how many calories you’re burning. She teaches a variety of classes like yoga, kickboxing, core and step. However, as an undergraduate, she was not very physically active. She started working out to relieve stress and to take her mind off school after a long day of class. Zimmerman is living proof that it is never too late to become physically active.

Zimmerman also had some pretty good advice for students who have never been to the gym: Make a short routine and stick to it, and focus on doing “something that won’t stress you out even more; if you dread going to the gym, it won’t help you.”

Exercise may not be something you look forward to, but think of the benefits before you decide not to go to Ping. Menyes referred to it like this “some people love it and do it because it makes them feel good, some people force themselves to do it, and some people just don’t.” Remember, no one is judging you. “Keep in mind that you will never be the worst person there.”