As a third-year student, I have experienced almost all that UCLA Recreation, often referred to as UCLA Rec, has to offer: the Wooden Center, Bruin Fitness, also called B-Fit, the Aquatic Center—you name it! But I think there’s so much more that UCLA Rec can do to make the gym experience better for everyone.
I love going to the gym, especially after I have finished all my classes for the day. For me, it’s a place where I can personally detox. However, I quickly discovered there is one thing that haunts many of the gyms: the lines!
Maybe it’s because I go at night when the gyms are the busiest, but when every machine has lines that wrap around themselves, adding time to your tight workout schedule, one must wonder if there is a better solution to this mess.
Could a solution be another workout space? When asked about the idea of having a third gym on campus, third-year student and avid gym-goer Max Zhang said, “I think, as a person who frequents the gym a lot, it is a good idea. It would really help with the line.”
Zhang, however, also said, “Practically, there’s not a lot of room at UCLA, so the gym would be far away from the campus, which is inconvenient. Wooden and B-Fit are in good locations.” This was an interesting thought. Our campus already has one of the smallest campuses in the UC system, yet there simply isn’t enough space to add another gym.
It is also important to note that many people who go to the gym don’t solely use weights; they also do calisthenics. Calisthenics are the exercises that solely rely on body weight. There are many areas around campus where a pull-up bar could be added, such as the plaza in front of the Student Activities Center. This is a good compromise, as it is an easy and good, economical solution to the overcrowding problem at the gyms.
Another problem with UCLA Rec, one that unfortunately happens way too often, is broken equipment. Whether it’s the lat pulldown machine in B-Fit or the famous sauna in Wooden, equipment is not being fixed at a reasonable pace.
Many students spend thousands of dollars each year on UCLA Rec as a part of their tuition. Therefore, they should expect that the equipment will be in its best shape. If there was clarification from UCLA Rec about where that money is going, maybe students could see its effects more substantially.
The last big problem from UCLA Rec is the total lack of instruction on what services they offer. For example, I didn’t even know that they rent out equipment, such as racquetball and tennis equipment, for students to use.
UCLA Rec should improve its marketing regarding the services provided to students. It can be confusing when temporarily renting a racquetball racket is fully covered through the Rec fee, but attending a class on self-defense is unfortunately blocked behind a paywall.
Overcrowding, broken equipment and a lack of clarity about services offered are some of the biggest problems troubling UCLA Rec right now, and there should be a plan to improve.
