Whether it’s looking good or feeling good, Orono students have a particular taste for fitness. On February 2nd, 2019, Orono opened the Activities Center. Complete with two different fitness gyms and lots of space to participate in sporting activities, there is no question why it is very popular with the students, and it is clear the school wants students to enjoy it.

“Strengthening your body and flexibility is a lifelong benefit, and it is wonderful that students have the ability to learn how to exercise now, so they can take those skills into their adult lives and maintain fitness,” Orono Physical Education teacher Barry Wohler said.

Orono focuses on preparing students intellectually for the adult world, but it is apparent that they also care to keep their students healthy as long as possible, however, this is not only true for Orono.

“When working out at Rockford or Orono, I am in the gym with highschoolers for what feels like 99% of the time, and even when I am not in a school gym, such as Planet Fitness, I’m still surrounded by highschoolers 75% of the time,” Orono Activities Center employee Caleb Olsen said.

It is apparent that there are external reasons that are driving this current generation into exercising so frequently, and it is most likely due to social media’s influence on its users. Information about exercise has become much more accessible to people of all ages, and it has evidently motivated many to try it out themselves. Not all this motivation is positive however.

“If you go on social media, people utilize specialized lighting, or heavily edit their images, which in turn creates unrealistic goals and standards for the average gym-goer, and at times, it may seem arbitrary what is considered ‘in shape,’” Orono senior Owen Gagne said.

A report from the fitness equipment company Les Mills highlighted that from the young people sampled, four of their top five reasons to exercise are linked to health and happiness, which includes looking good. 47% of those sampled listed ‘improving their appearance’ as a key reason to workout.

While social media can be a useful tool, it struggles to convey realistic fitness goals, which can make it difficult to get started, Wohler recommends that doing push ups, sit ups, and light dumbbell workouts, such as curls and shoulder press, can easily get someone started right from the comfort of their own home.