Column: Waiting for weight loss at the Plex

This year I will not skip class. This year I will stop procrastinating. This year I will find a successful relationship. This year I will be healthier and exercise more. Even though everybody makes New Year's resolutions, most people abandon them shortly after the clock strikes twelve ... or do they?

One of the most popular ways to ring in the New Year is to resolve to hit the gym more often. Vowing to lose the holiday weight gain, build some muscle or just be more health conscious, sends people in droves to the gym post-holiday season. BC students are no different and the popularity of the Plex after winter break reflects this determination.

Since classes began, the Plex has been filled to the brim nearly every afternoon and into the early evening with students trying to fulfill their New Year's resolutions.

"Normally there is always a bike or a treadmill open or I can wait five minutes maximum for an elliptical. This week, though, I had to wait at least 10 or 15 minutes for any machine I wanted to work out on," said Caitlin Gill, CSOM '05.

The horde of students you may have encountered last week at the Plex is not a new trend, according to John Pagliarulo, assistant athletic director of recreation at the Plex. As he pointed out, it happens every year "like clockwork."

"We see more usage in the second semester than the fall semester," he said.

If you think about it, this seems logical. In the fall, with bathing suit season safely behind them, students can slack off on their workout routines due to several upcoming months of cold weather and hiding unsightly flab under long pants, baggy sweaters and puffy parkas.

After winter vacation, however, all students are faced with the same harsh reality that spring break brings beach vacations and the return of bikini season. Unfortunately, the bathing suit motivation leads to the crowds at the Plex.

"The Plex at New Year's and spring break is crazy," said Gill. "Sometimes I just give up and I have to endure the cold and run outside."

With thousands of New Year's resolutions and only 75 aerobics machines, including treadmills, bikes and ellipticals, what else can you expect from the gym other than crowds?

The Plex, however, offers workout alternatives to the monotony of running and lifting weights. "If you couldn't get on a treadmill you could go to a spinning class or Pilates," said Pagliarulo. Classes are fun and refreshing compared to the usual boring workout routine.

Although crowds seem to plague the Plex, some times to visit are better than others.

"The busiest time is 2 p.m. until 10 p.m.," said Pagliarulo. He recommends visiting the Plex in the morning hours or around lunchtime, or after 10 p.m. because on weeknights, the Plex is open until midnight. No matter what, it is hard to escape the masses.

"This week I have tried the Plex at nine, noon, three, four and seven," said Gill. "No matter what, it has been more crowded than it ever was last semester."

So, with all the crowds, is there any relief in sight?

"Probably not until after spring break," Gill said with a chuckle.

"[Usage] tapers off a bit after spring break," said Pagliarulo. With spring break in the past and several weeks until summer officially starts, students are less worried about their waistlines.

That said, over the next five or so weeks, prepare to battle your peers for the next available elliptical. But keep in mind that while the Plex crowds are annoying and time consuming, the bright side is that BC students are taking care of their health and their bodies, which is more than we might hope to expect in today's fast food nation. Happy New Year.