If you are lucky enough to have a college gym I seriously envy you. Whilst my college (Christ Church) does offer us the option of a free Iffley gym pass, I made the decision right back two years ago in Michaelmas of my first year to bite the bullet and just pay for a gym subscription instead. In the city centre, you have the option of Puregym or Buzz Gym. I used to be a Puregym girl through and through but, after being peer pressured by my Buzz gym-going friends, for my third year I decided to make the switch to Buzz. I also enjoy the fact that I can now go to the gym with a much slimmer chance of running into every person I have ever met in Oxford – which seemed to be the recurring issue I faced at Puregym. I personally don’t think I need the girl I smiled at in a lecture once or a friend’s ex-situationship to see me red, sweaty and huffing and puffing away. I would rather do my session in blissful anonymity.
Though I will say Buzz is a slight improvement in terms of having more equipment, diversity in gym classes, and just overall being a much larger space, it still has that uni gym air (aka it stinks). And though I clearly love the gym as I’m all too happy to procrastinate my essay deadlines or Blue admin (EICs get lots of emails…) to spend an hour or so putting my body through its paces, I often wish I could do this in a much calmer and less sweaty environment where the stifling (and honestly quite unnecessary) heat of the gym makes you feel both sick and sleepy simultaneously.
The £25ish quid a month I spend on my subscription for me is a necessary cost. Going to the gym has been something that I have used as a method of self-care ever since starting at this intense university. It gives me time to switch off the laptop or close the book and just put my headphones on and work out my stress by flinging some weights around or strutting on the treadmill. Also, it’s immensely convenient. Despite what it may seem from this sporty persona I am presenting, I can be incredibly lazy. It’s a 3ish minute walk to Buzz from my accommodation to the gym’s entrance. The classes the gym runs often range from 30 minutes to an hour and are thus the perfect excuse for a study break. Going to the gym keeps me healthy, active and mentally sane. For 25 quid that’s a bargain!
Plus they always do student deals on the price. Most popular in freshers week, you can be sure to save some dosh just by flashing that bodcard about. So if you know you want a subscription, the sooner you purchase one the better. Plus, most gyms give you an option to freeze your membership so you don’t have to pay the full amount over our seemingly endless vacs. Just resume your subscription when you touch back down in the city each term.
As well as being a time in my day for me to spend alone, the gym can also be a great social space. My switch to Buzz was motivated by the fact that all my friends go there. Now we can go to classes together or hit a weights session. I’m killing two birds with one stone – seeing my friends and keeping fit, it’s a win-win. Also, it keeps you motivated to actually put effort into your workouts. Social time at Oxford can become scarce and it’s hard to maintain friendships with everyone in your circle when you have so much going on, so the gym is a great way of seeing people whilst also being productive.
All in all, gym subscriptions are a must for me and I certainly feel like I get the necessary bang for my buck. Despite all the cons, I honestly can’t complain too much. It’s a place of solace, fun and daily alone time. It’s essential to my routine, and I’d strongly recommend it becomes essential in yours too.