Building Community and Personal Health: PVCC Fitness Center
Exercising greatly improves physical health, and many exercise for that reason. But, the mental health benefits are often overlooked.
Nicholas “Nick” LaCasse, PVCC’s fitness room manager, gained “a lot of confidence” as a result of working out regularly. He learned that “you don’t have to be a certain size or push a certain amount of weight to be included.” Now, he helps foster an environment where everyone feels included.
Joseph “J” Rinaldi, a fitness room employee, added that his closest friendships grew substantially through the fitness center while he was a student. Now that he’s an employee, he sees it happening all the time.
The fitness room itself accommodates many types of exercise. Room M179 contains treadmills, stationary bikes, a rowing machine, and an open floor for bodyweight exercises. Room M180 has enough weight equipment to keep most weightlifters happy, including dumbbells, cable machines, a leg press, a squat/bench rack, a smith machine, etc.
However, LaCasse and Rinaldi’s vision does not end at the fitness room. LaCasse said that he would like a bigger space and some updated machines, but it goes beyond that. Rinaldi led a rock climbing trip with Rocky Top Climbing gym in Charlottesville on Sept. 22. “Your kicks may not be in the gym,” He said. LaCasse mentioned that it is important to find exercise you enjoy because “you’re not going to do something you don’t like.” Rinaldi and LaCasse both emphasized that they intend for events outside the gym to continue.
One event that is already happening is the ultimate frisbee club. It is run by Associate Professor of Philosophy John Gulley and student captain Jackson Landsberg. The club has been around for about 15 years, and Gulley has been the leader for the past 12. They meet on Fridays at noon to play pickup frisbee. Gulley stressed that the club is open to everyone of all skill levels, and new players are encouraged.
The fitness center is located at the end of the 100 wing in the main building in rooms M179 and M180, and hours are posted on the PVCC website. The ultimate frisbee club meets in the fields near the student parking lot. Contact info for Gulley is on the PVCC website.
