If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a community to keep children well as they grow into adulthood. In that spirit, Kent State University Geauga Campus has teamed up with both the Geauga YMCA in Chardon and Twinsburg Fitness Center to make exercise easier to access for students at Kent State Geauga in Burton and the Regional Academic Center (RAC) in Twinsburg.
Starting Spring Semester 2019, any Kent State Geauga and the Regional Academic Center student can take (for credit) Boot Camp I or Yoga physical education classes at the Geauga YMCA. Also starting this spring are for-credit classes in Lifeguard Training and Beginning Yoga, held at the Twinsburg Fitness Center. In addition, the Twinsburg Fitness Center is offering free full membership and Geauga YMCA is offering guest passes (a free five-day trial membership) to these KSU students, making fitness opportunities both convenient and affordable.
These new community collaborations are part of a university-wide wellness initiative and efforts by the Kent State Geauga’s Wellness Student Organization. (See "Kent State Geauga Wellness Student Organization Aims to Reverse Troubling Health Trends" article).
“Hopefully, this will allow students to make their own health and wellness a focus and it will also help them achieve success in school,” says Geauga YMCA Director Paul Conley, noting that exercise not only strengthens the body but clears the mind and helps strengthen mental concentration.
The Geauga YMCA offers many fitness amenities, including daily group exercise classes in the pool and in the studio, ranging from yoga to Zumba, cardio, cycling, Boot Camp and Burn workouts. The weekly schedule also offers team sports in basketball, pickleball, volleyball and open gym. The Health and Wellness Center offers PRECOR cardio equipment, Expresso Bikes, and a free weights area.
Conley sees new this partnership between the Geauga YMCA and Kent State as “just the tip of the iceberg,” with potential for not only hosting more classes but also offering enhanced collaborations, including student internships and future job placement opportunities at the Geauga YMCA.
At the Twinsburg Fitness Center — located less than two miles from the Regional Academic Center — benefits extend beyond Kent State Geauga students to also provide all staff and faculty with free memberships, as well. Besides the training zone, other amenities include three basketball courts, an indoor track, an indoor pool, weight room, cardio equipment, free group classes, and more.
According to Ryan Kennedy, Marketing Director at the Twinsburg Fitness Center, the partnership with Kent State’s Regional Academic Center was initiated in Fall 2018, when the fitness center developed a new turf training zone. This space includes York lifting platforms, Hammer Strength power racks, Hammer Strength HD athletic lifting racks, a Tank push weight sled, HIIT incline training mills, TRX stations, and a tire flip. The Zone provides variety and a huge element of fun in pursuing fitness, both for those new to working out and for the experienced athlete.
“As a facility, we saw the need in a changing fitness environment for a multi-functional space that included these components plus space for larger group fitness classes, especially boot camp style classes,” Kennedy shares. “We thought the space would offer a good opportunity for sponsorship, which is where KSU Regional Academic Center came in and was a perfect fit for us. We strive to welcome as many people as possible for exercise, training, and to take on a healthy lifestyle.”
Removing obstacles that stand in the way of fitness is one way the community is rallying behind KSU students, faculty and staff. Twinsburg Fitness Center and the Geauga YMCA are putting wellness within reach!