Toronto Metropolitan University's Independent Student Newspaper Since 1967

All Sports

You don’t know RAC

By Rob Moysey
Sports Editor

During frosh week, the last thing you’ll be thinking about is hitting the gym. But after three weeks of boozin’ and snoozin’ you might be apt to change your mind.

Don’t worry, Ryerson’s got you and your beer gut covered. Despite being in the middle of the city, there are plenty of places to go and things to do to keep fit.

Your first destination should be the Recreation and Athletics Centre (RAC), which is located under the Quad in Kerr Hall. The RAC has two gyms, three studio rooms, four squash courts, a swimming pool, a classroom for workshops, and plenty of activities to keep you busy.

Membership costs $44 for one semester, $77 for two and $116 for three. It’s probably a good idea to go for the single semester because the RAC is packed during peak times during the day, so if your class schedule doesn’t allow for morning or evening workouts, you might want to go elsewhere.

Aside from varsity sports that are played in the gyms, the RAC offers competitive sports clubs like dragon boating, cheerleading, karate, water polo, badminton, swimming and the dance pak for those who want a serious commitment. There are also intramural sports like ball hockey, basketball, 3-on-3 volleyball, dodgeball and ultimate frisbee. Even counting club fees with the RAC membership, this is a much cheaper alternative to playing in a rec league in the city.

If you’re a little sheepish about getting in shape alone, there are also group exercise programs like step, zumba, and yoga, which cost $8 per session and are offered year-round.

But the RAC isn’t just for sports — it also offers fitness programs for would-be gym rats. They all start with an hour-long fitness assessment, which will outline exactly how (un)fit you are for $45. You can follow that up with dietary consultations and training advice; a half-hour session will run you $30, while a four-session assessment and plan goes for $250.

After you’ve been sized up, fitness fools and freaks alike can enroll in a fitness bootcamp that will test your athleticism with a series of fitness drills and exercises. For anyone seeking one-on-one attention, there are also several personal trainers available.

You can completely customize what areas of your body you want to work out and what type of conditioning you want: weight loss, muscle toning, flexibility, sport-specific training — you name it. Each one-hour session goes for $50, but if you commit to over 20 sessions, the price is bumped down to $40.

The RAC also offers courses for getting your First Aid, Can-Fit-Pro personal trainer, and National Coaching certification.

Even if you aren’t the gym-going type, there are still places to get active around campus. The quad provides enough space to play a small game of football, catch, or frisbee — provided nobody else is using the space. Admittedly, it can get cramped in the middle of the afternoon, so pick another time if possible.

Outside of the quad, skateboarders can tear up Lake Devo outside of the Chang School. Because of ongoing construction, security might have something to say about it, but historically it has always been a place where skaters go to practise because of its low ledges and flat ground.

Speaking of wheels, invest in a pair of rollerblades. With Gould Street closed for the year, you should be able to zip around the campus in no time and that’s something security can’t say anything about.

3 Comments

  1. Shashank Nanivadekar

    Hi, I was wondering if the Eye Opener covers the Intramural sports. If not, I would greatly encourage covering the intramural sports, team and individual, as this would give students a better outlook on Ryerson’s competitive sports and advertise the sports in a much larger circulation as students scramble to know what’s going on in the Ryerson-Sports-world. With more people getting interested in sports like squash, table tennis, and volleyball be it for fitness, improvement, or just some sport to pick up, covering the intramural sports would be a good decision that would be beneficial to everyone.

    Thanks

    • Rob

      Hey Shashank, I hear you. I’d like to have some coverage of intramurals this year, but a lot is going to depend upon whether I have the manpower to do it. With a small staff we can’t be everywhere at once, but we’ll certainly try. And if you have any interesting stories, ideas, complaints, grievances, lawsuits, whatever, don’t hesitate to let me know.

      -rob moysey

  2. Shashank Nanivadekar

    Hey Rob,
    Unfortunately I just saw this post. I didn’t get a notification email that my post had been replied to. As a matter of fact, I competed in the Ryerson Squash Intramurals this semester, and fortunately I won. There were some really exciting matches. However if you’re interested, I can help you in the regard of covering a few matches next semester. I may or may not compete in the Squash Intramurals in the Winter semester, either way I will be involved, by either watching the matches, or playing in them.

    I am an engineering student, but I have a good background in writing, I used to write for my school periodical, and am currently writing a script for a sit-com (this is all for fun).

Leave a Reply