Physical training is important but, as many would agree, going to the gym regularly is not a habit one develops overnight. That said, students needn’t start out all alone. The university’s Sport and Recreation program offers numerous opportunities for students to begin - and stay - on their fitness journey.
Earlier this month, I got to observe the Integrated Movement, Performance, Agility and Conditioning Team (IMPACT) program at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
The centre, a state-of-the-art facility designed for high performance athletics, may sound and look intimidating but it actually has a really welcoming atmosphere with spacious workout areas, a supportive training environment, and is open for use to all UofT students.
IMPACT aims to empower students by increasing their comfort-level working with gym equipment and providing them with a solid foundation that they can carry beyond the program.
Personally, I’ve found most gym equipment—especially the sort accompanied with minimal or no user instructions—too confusing and risky to use. The chance of injuring myself due to using equipment incorrectly has kept me almost exclusively on the relatively easier to use and safer cardio machines.
Thankfully, Saja, the IMPACT instructor, very clearly explained and carefully demonstrated how to use various gym equipment throughout the program.
It was also nice to see other students in the IMPACT program support each other as spotters while using the equipment.
The encouraging and supportive social environment fostered in the program goes a long way to breaking the stereotype of gyms being exclusive environments that has kept many people out of the gym for too long.
All in all, I highly recommend the IMPACT program. It’s a great program in a safe, friendly and inclusive environment that can truly empower anyone with a solid physical training foundation.
The IMPACT program runs weekly and, in addition to the open sessions, there are also sessions for women-only and students of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.