Despite the stereotype that many people stop going to the gym a couple weeks into January after starting at the beginning of the year, some areas of Marshall’s Recreation Center are seeing an increase in attendance as 2024 continues. 

Jenna Howdyshell, a lifeguard at the rec center pool, said this time of year is when more community members use the pool, especially parents wanting to give their kids a head start for the summer. 

“This is about the time of year where a lot of parents start signing their kids up for swim lessons to get them ready for the summer,” Howdyshell said.  

Since most students aren’t using the rec’s pools and hot tub this time of year, many attendants are staff members and other adults in Huntington. The hot tub is especially popular after workouts, as well as physical therapy classes. 

Howdyshell said she mostly sees the same faces in the mornings, while new members tend to congregate in the evenings. 

“There’s new faces every night again, especially in the evening after classes have let out,” Howdyshell said, “like the 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. shift, right before everything closes. It’s been pretty steady I think, at least from what I’ve seen there.”

Howdyshell said the attendance number for the rec center pool alone on Jan. 29 was 85 people for all the individual open hours for the pool.

Michele Muth, director of campus recreation, said attendance stays consistent throughout the spring season, slipping off around the end of spring break.

“The spring semester’s funny in that people have New Year’s resolutions. So, they come in January, but then spring break is in March,” Muth said. “It’s after spring break is where we generally see our dip, and we’re seeing huge numbers in our fitness classes right now.”

Muth said her pilates class regularly has 35 students twice a week, despite the capacity ideally being 28. She said the biggest influx the rec gains in attendance is the start of the fall semester, and spring semester.

“I think students come in and before they really get into their classes too much, they sort of start coming out, and then it starts to dip down probably after midterms in the fall.” Muth said.

Muth said students get more involved in their classes, which gives them less time to go to the rec before the holidays begin. 

“We do wish that the students who don’t come in at all would at least come in a couple of times because we have a lot to offer,” Muth said, ”even if it’s just one class a week that you take or something that you’re interested in that’s not too fitness-y, like a Pilates class or a yoga class just to sort of calm your mind.”