Fitness becomes very important in many students’ lives during a period of time where we are more vulnerable to diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The dreaded “Freshman 15” may also be part of the desire to exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese. Following a survey among several HCC students, respectively at the Dale Mabry and Ybor City campuses, we came to understand why many students who practice Fitness, perform better at school. Bradley, who is majoring in Business Administration, says since he started coming to the school gym, he has performed much better at school. Even though he’s going to school at Dale Mabry campus, he now puts time aside to come to the Ybor City campus to exercise at the gym.

  Rosa is another HCC student, whose transformation from obesity to her current weight is impressive. While other people have dreams to own a big house or a nice car, Rosa’s dream was to become healthy and lose weight. Regardless of Rosa’s demanding schedule, the secret to maintaining her weight loss is also sustaining her mental health. While she started to go to the gym somewhere else before attending HCC, she now finds it more convenient to go to the gym on campus.

  Sherron Small is a student at the Ybor City campus that has been working at the school gym for the past year. “The reason I like working in the gym, is that I like the idea of people coming in and bettering themselves.”

  In his spare time, between classes and after his duties as an SGA senator, Small can be found in the gym maintaining his healthy and physically fit physique. Small stated, “I believe, in our country that we have a health problem that isn’t addressed enough.” Small shared that working in the gym is more than just a job, he truly enjoys helping fellow student develop a healthier lifestyle. “My goal while working in the gym, is to help as many people as possible through knowledge of how to take care of your body, as well as proper eating habits in hopes of making them better individuals overall.”

  The Ybor campus gym, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The schedule allows students to enjoy a workout before and after class. There is a growing movement in the student population that believes the school should create some programs to encourage more students on campus to utilize the gym’s services. Hopefully, with the help of more students like Small, these programs will become a reality.