Jaguar Fitness Center offers prizes for workouts

September 17, 2015
Updated: September 22, 2016 - 4:09 AM
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Updated: Oct. 13, 10 a.m.

Usually when you get punched on campus, you would contact the University Police Department. Now when you get punched at the Jaguar Fitness Center, you can earn a prize.

Working out is a great stress reliever, especially for college students. Most people think of a gym filled with sweat and bad body odor, but at the Jaguar Fitness Center, the atmosphere is clean and friendly. Plus, motivational music always helps.

At the Jaguar Fitness Center, the Fitness Center Card is a new motivational incentive to encourage students’ physical activity and get rewards for their workouts.

“The reason for the fitness card is to want to get students active,” Art Olague, director of Recreational Sports. “What better way to get students active…than with rewards.”

The jaguar fitness center, Room #128, in the Senator Frank L. Madla building, offers members prizes for punch card milestones. — The Jaguar Fitness Center, located in Room 128 of the Senator Frank L. Madla building, is a free workout area offered to TAMUSA students. Photo by Ryan Carreon.

To get a fitness card, students present their Student ID or K Number at the front desk. One workout equals one “punch” on your card. A minimum of 20 minutes or more at the gym are required to receive a card.

With the Fitness Card, the more punches a person gets, the bigger the prize. Workout 10 times and you earn a free water bottle. Twenty punches merits a sports towel, 30 earns you a portable USB charger and 40 gets you a T-shirt. The big goal is 50 punches to receive free Spurs, Rampage or Silver Star tickets offered through the San Antonio Spurs organization.

“Fifty workouts a semester isn’t all that tough,” Olague said. “You don’t have to give up your favorite foods.”

Once the results are there, it becomes an addiction.

“I like the incentives per every 10 workouts,” said Bobby Ramirez, senior kinesiology major.

“It’s pretty reasonable and I think the biggest prize you get is the sports tickets and that’s something to definitely aim for if you’re motivated to go to the Spurs game.”

On a daily basis, recreational sports assistants check in an average of 50 people per day. The fitness center is slow in the morning, but traffic usually picks up around 10:30 a.m.

Jaguar Fitness Center welcomes all current students, faculty and staff.

Since the center opened back in March, Olague said faculty and staff gave positive feedback on the facility and the promotion for healthy lifestyle choices. Funding originated from a rec fee included in students’ tuition.

Olague works out at the Jaguar Fitness Center whenever he has time to and has lost 45 pounds so far.

“I practice what I preach,” he said.

About the Author

Rosemary Rodriguez

Throughout my life, I was always told you can be anything you want to be, as long as you set your mind to it. I never understood what that meant. Initially, I wanted to be a nurse, someone who changes lives, like my father. He is a LVN at a hospital. I’ve come to realize that I am terrified of shots and don’t like blood. So, that wasn’t going to work. In high school, I was on the dance team for three years, captain for my sophomore year and colonel in my senior year. I learned confidence, found my voice and learned who I am as an individual. I worked at Radio Disney right after high school, and that’s where I found my passion in communications. I love talking to people, and love the idea of challenging myself everyday. I like communications because the variety and skills the field offers. I am currently working on my bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. I want to pursue knowledge in my chosen field, to act on my passion to learn and succeed.