Balance Your Life (BYL), a healthy lifestyle campaign run by Tufts' Department of Health Education, will host Girls Night Out At The Gym tonight in an effort to encourage female gym attendance and raise awareness of the importance of self−maintenance through exercise and healthy eating, according to BYL President Samantha Carle.
The event, hosted in the Gantcher Center, is designed to acquaint female students with gym equipment and teach women new exercises, Carle, a junior, explained.
The evening will center on demonstrations and practices on cardio machines, the indoor track and weight−lift machines, she added.
BYL, which also hosts free cooking and exercise classes on campus, was started last semester by Kathryn Sweeney, a graduate of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, as an internship requirement for her graduate degree program. Sweeney is an intern at the Health Education Department and in that capacity encourages collaboration between Friedman students and BYL programs at Tufts.
"We have Friedman students who come and help cook with the cooking demonstrations; they teach Gym Comes to You classes and contribute to the student blog. One of our missions is to collaborate with the Friedman School with whatever we do," she said, adding that some Friedman School students will attend the event tonight.
Carle began planning Girls Night Out last semester, and partnered with the Athletics Department, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Department of Health Education in order to acquire expanded resources for the event.
"Last semester, we determined there's a need and want for this event. Girls from our group and girls we spoke to said they didn't like going to the gym and wanted to learn to use the equipment to get a good workout," Carle said.
If the event is successful, Carle said a possible "Guys Night Out" equivalent event could occur in the spring semester.
A number of exercise experts, including sports team captains and Fitness and Individual Development at Tufts pre−orientation leaders, will be on hand to answer attendees' questions throughout the night. Student trainers with the Tufts Personalized Performance Program (PPP) will also guide attendees through several of the evening activities, according to Daniel Kopcso, head strength and conditioning coach and manager of PPP.
"The trainers will be there to give people an interactive hands−on tour of the equipment, and introduce them to exercises and routines they can try," Kopcso said. "It's a perfect opportunity to work in a one−on−one environment."
Kopcso hopes that the predominately female environment tonight will help women enjoy their time more at the gym.
"We are excited about it, because the gym is still a predominately male place," he said. "This is an opportunity for women to not have to worry about guys being on every piece of equipment."
Academic and social stressors can lead to poor eating and workout habits of students, Carle explained, adding that tonight's event will help show students that revamping these behaviors can reduce stress.
"It's the first time the majority of us are living on our own, and a lot of people don't know how to eat healthily or exercise," she said. "It's about showing people how they can fit fitness into their daily routine and why it's beneficial."
Camille Littlefield, a junior, sees the Girls Night Out as a potential social networking scenario, bringing together females interested in health.
"It looks really fun, I'll probably be there and try not to be too over−eager," Littlefield said.
