Since the WREC opened its doors in 2009, students have had a facility to practice a healthy lifestyle, that’s included in their tuition.

Although students are paying for their own gym in their already high tuition, the WREC fails to make access available for everyone, with low parking accessibility and limited hours.

It’s commonly known, among Chico State students, that attending the WREC during the first week of school means waiting for every machine and facility. However, during midterms, the struggles of classes and squeezing in an additional 30 minutes of running is nearly impossible for many students.

Tiberi Edwards, a WREC employee and recent graduate, said the gym sees major fluctuations in student population but is able to hold a constant crowd through the classes they offer.

“In the first month, the WREC is usually packed with people, since everyone has time. But around week six, there’s still a lot of people but not the same amount since everyone has exams and less time to work out,” Edwards said.

While midterms and cramming act as a natural deterrent for students who plan to attend the gym, the night classes and personal training allow most students to fit the exercise into their day.

“I’m usually working throughout the night and the spin and core classes always seem to be the most popular,” Edwards said.

The night classes the WREC provides allow some students to fit working out into their schedule, but might act as a problem for others who work at night and have school during the day.

Sophomore Syanne Park found working out to be an important part of her daily schedule and said that she believed it helped manage her classes.

“I really like the classes the most, they’re encouraging and keep you on track. It’s all just a lot of fun, its part of my daily routine now,” Park said.

While Park remains dedicated to her workout, she also understood the struggle of students trying to make it to the WREC. Park said that she felt elongated hours and better available parking would encourage students to attend more frequently.

“I definitely enjoy going in the first few weeks of school before I really get any assignments,” Park said. “Once it starts getting more stressful, it becomes either sleep or work out. It’s clear which one a college student will choose.”

Cydney Nance can be reached at [email protected] or @Cydneyna on Twitter.