I remember the day I tried to suck in my stomach and it wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t believe it. It had always worked before. Now, I was forced to face the fat, eh, fact that my body had changed and I was going to have to change my behavior if I wanted to get my figure back.

That’s when I joined the University Sports Complex, formerly known as the Rec Plex. I resisted signing up for a long time. It made more sense to me to work out in Harahan than to chance students and colleagues see me sweat in spandex, no less. I have since learned that my new workout buddies are more supportive than the strangers across town and that there are exercise outfits more supportive than spandex.

I started out trudging on treadmills and stomping on Stairmasters until a friend and staff member tried to convince me to take an aerobics class with her. I was working wonders in the weight room, so I told her, “Maybe later.” I’d never been big on group sports and enjoyed it when it was just me and my iPod. She wouldn’t stop asking, so I told her I’d try it one time just to get her to quit bugging me.

We went to Judy Vitrano’s Step Aerobics class Wednesday at noon – Big Shoe Day. You’ll have to take the class to find out why. I set up my step in the back so the other aerobicizers would not see how uncoordinated I was. I expected ridicule but got none. Judy gave flawless, low-key cues. Everybody was in step except me, but Judy said, “As long as you’re moving, you’re doing fine.” She went on to discuss chocolate, children, and current events, and she never missed a cue.

I was hooked. Judy’s Monday, Wednesday, and Friday classes got me into a regular workout habit. They trimmed my body, boosted my energy and freed me from my group exercise phobia. Then I met Meghan. Meghan Collins is a drama theater senior. She’s the physical fitness “Energizer Bunny.” Her warm-ups could be a full workout in a typical session. And she can lead a 60 minute cardio class, then instruct four more that same day.

Meghan teaches Cardio Sculpting, Pilates and Yoga. It doesn’t matter what you take with Meghan, she’s going to push you further than you thought you could go, and if you’re like her other fitness followers, you’re going to want her to keep pushing. You’ll feel pain for a few days after her class, but you’ll see welcome changes in your body.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a new fitness routine or stepping up your old one, you may want to try out Loyola’s Sports Complex. It’s so much more than the old Rec Plex. Right now, there’s an incentive program to get more people into the classes. You get a card with 50 slots. You earn a bright orange water bottle at 25 punches and a Loyola Wellness T-shirt at 50. Your card then goes into a drawing so you can win, among other things, spa treatments at The Retreat or a free session with a personal trainer. The biggest plus, though, is all the workouts you do.

You can probably find a few coed classes that work with your schedule too since they start early in the morning and run throughout the evening. You can even take some on weekends. And like the Sports Complex, the classes, except for Yoga and Pilates, are free.

If you’re not interested in taking classes, you can always use the center’s elliptical trainers, treadmills, stair-climbers, spinners, free weights, walking track and swimming pool. There are also spas and steam rooms if you’d just like to relax. But if you’re even a little curious, try out Big Shoe Day, or go to Bosu to see if you can balance your body on the ball. It could change your life.

Lisa Martin is a professor in the School of Mass Communication

and can be reached at [email protected].