January is a month for new beginnings, new chances and New Year’s resolutions. February is a month for forgetting all of that.

“We see it every year; a lot of people come at the beginning of the year, and then it slowly starts to decline,” said Ben Cope, personal trainer at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. “Seventy percent of people who start an exercise program won’t stay with it six months.”

Many students looking to defy this statistic are finding different motivators to keep them interested in achieving their workout goals and resolutions. Some students need an extra push from a friend. Others students need an occasion to prepare for such as spring break.

Courtney Ursem, senior art education major, is one of these students preparing for a big spring break trip.

“I made a resolution to come to the gym three times a week with my friend because I’ve never done anything special for spring break before, and this year we’re going on a cruise,” Ursem said. “I’ve stuck with my goal, and I think it helps when you come with a friend. It really motivates you to keep going.”

The rec center is also doing what it can to help students like Ursem stay motivated and on track to reaching their goals.

“We offer fitness and wellness programs and personal training,” said Jason Hawk, marketing coordinator for the rec center. “The personal training is good one-on-one session where you can go over fitness goals and work on whatever goals you set for yourself.”

In order to take a personal training session, students must first complete a fitness assessment and nutrition evaluation that will map out a diet plan. Hawk said all of these are created with the student’s goals in mind.

“The personal training, along with the fitness assessment and nutrition counseling can really help keep students on track,” he said. “Sometimes you just have to step over your comfort zones a little bit and understand we’re here to help.”

Cope, who is also the fitness and wellness coordinator for the rec center, finds that students who work out with a friend are more successful in achieving their goals because it helps create a more comfortable environment.

“We offer a buddy training program to help some people get over being uncomfortable working out,” he said. “A lot of people think when they come to work out that everyone is looking at you when really everyone else is thinking the same thing so much that no one really sees anyone.”

Some students, like Chris Mazzagatti, junior business management major, would really enjoy not seeing so many people around the rec center in the near future.

“I’ve been coming here for three years now, and every January I can never find a parking spot,” Mazzagatti said. “I hate it in January. I can’t wait until it slows down.”

Contact student recreation and wellness reporter Amanda Klitsch at [email protected].