After a month of outdoor jogs and hikes, students finally began enjoying gyms and fitness centers in early October — a welcome addition as students anticipate colder weather.
Cornell gyms and fitness centers reopened Oct. 5 for student use only. Students can use Teagle Hall Fitness Center, Noyes Fitness Center and Lindseth Climbing Center, but all are operating at a reduced capacity.
The reopening of gyms comes off the heels of the University approving both athletic teams as well as intramural and club sports teams to return to activity in a reduced format.
Students must reserve spaces at the facilities up to 48 hours in advance and are limited to three 50-minute time slots per week. Joaquin Lopez May ’24 bought a membership for the rest of the first semester, despite the new regulations.
“Only being able to go three times a week makes me feel less productive, I don’t think only going three times a week will help me much,” Lopez May said.
Joshua Figueroa ’24 also bought a membership for the gym, even with its new regulations.
“It restricts me from my usual routine,” Figueroa said. “It prevents me from being able to do my normal workout routine.”
Teagle Hall and Lindseth Center are running at 33 percent of their original capacity. Gym-goers are required to wear face coverings at all times and bring their own water bottles, as instructed by Cornell Recreational Services, and students must sign up for one of the 18 allotted spots for each session.
“Spots don’t fill up quickly at all, during the week, out of the available spots, only four are usually filled,” Lopez May said.
While it is easy to make a reservation, “sometimes the spots fill up quickly on the weekends,” according to Figueroa.
The fitness centers are open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends. Memberships run at $35 for the rest of the semester, until Nov. 24. As of now, no day passes are available for purchase.
Virtual fitness classes are still available for students as well, offering pre-recorded classes, private classes and ready-made workouts. Memberships are required for access to virtual classes. Students with a Cornell Fitness Center membership can make reservations for time slots at fitness centers at imleagues.com.