Keeping Mac moving

Rachelle Ho, a fitness instructor with The Pulse, McMaster’s on-campus gym, has spent the pandemic teaching fitness classes online.

It’s not a way to pick up a little extra income. Quite the contrary: the neuroscience PhD candidate, along with several other fitness instructors at The Pulse, is volunteering her time – all to keep the McMaster community active and healthy while the campus is mostly empty.

“There’s such a great community that we’ve developed at The Pulse – this is one way to keep that community engaged, and encourage new people to get active – even as we’re all stuck at our desks at home,” she laughs.

When McMaster suspended in-person classes in March, the folks in Athletics & Recreation had to do some quick thinking: with the David Braley Athletic Centre closed, in-person outdoor activities cancelled and the prospect of students, staff and faculty working from home for an extended period, the McMaster community was at risk: of feeling isolated, of sliding into sedentary habits and of losing the welcoming feeling that was a part of attending classes and activities in person.

So fitness classes went online, taught by volunteer instructors and offered for free. There were online workshops on safe and leave-no-trace hiking.

And while activities are operating on a summer schedule right now, things are going to get busier in September.

“In September, we’d normally have outdoor hikes, canoe trips, sessions on the outdoor climbing tower – so we’re adjusting with a steep learning curve,” says Wayne Terryberry, McMaster’s coordinator of natural lands and outdoor recreation. “But we’re still trying to get people active.”

Come fall, the frequency of The Pulse’s free online fitness classes will go up, and undergraduate students will also be able to connect with personal trainers. Resources about safe cycling and cycling routes through the city are in the works, as well as online activities that will help take the place of Mac’s intramural sports programs.

There will even be an “outdoor” component to orientation this August, with the McMaster Outdoor Orientation Student Experience – familiarly known as MOOSE – moving its customary outside activities to the virtual space as a way to connect students interested in nature and the outdoors. Outdoor recreation virtual programming via the Outdoor and Climbing clubs is coming in the fall.

“We’re trying to emphasize the importance of being physically active both for students and the rest of the McMaster community,” explains Terryberry. “We all have Zoom fatigue, but if you do a fitness class, or go out for a hike, then come back to work, there’s a huge benefit to both mental health and cognitive performance.”

There are less tangible benefits too, especially during a pandemic, says Lee-Anne Wilson, Athletics and Recreation’s fitness and wellness coordinator.

“Everyone’s just about had it with the pandemic – so what we’re trying to do is get people active and remind them that they’re not alone. Everyone is helping each other get through this.”

To find out about The Pulse’s free online fitness classes, follow them on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

To learn more about natural spaces around McMaster and in the community, go to Nature at McMaster (new site coming soon).

For more information about MOOSE, go to the MOOSE website.

For ongoing updates about other recreation activities, keep an eye on the McMaster Athletics & Recreation website.

And for a list of wellness resources and activities across campus, go to McMaster’s Okanagan Charter website.