The new year often prompts students to make resolutions to get fit and to lose weight. Employees and regular patrons at Iowa State’s recreational centers said they already have been noticing an increase in the number of people working out.

Renae Hunting, employee at the Leid Recreation Center, said she has noticed more students using the facilities in the first week of the new year.

“I do see an increase in students coming in here. Some seem to have a new year’s resolution for better fitness, some people come in to meet people and some to stay active,” said Hunting, senior in exercise and sports science.

Peak hours at the Rec Center throughout the year, Hunting said, are from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

This means the equipment is usually hard to come by, but now students are even waiting in lines for the equipment, which Hunting said is strange even during peak hours.

Hunting said employees have had to strictly enforce time limits on certain machines due to increased use and demand of the equipment.

Many other regular Rec Center users have also noticed a change in the amount of people using the facilities.

“There are so many more people at the rec this semester so far than I have ever seen,” said Clay Buster, sophomore in mechanical engineering. “I have seen lots of people getting on the scale and weighing themselves. Everyone seems to have a new resolution to work out more. There aren’t normally even half as many people as there are now.”

Sarah Schulz, sophomore in exercise and sport science, works out at the Rec Center every day.

“At the beginning of every semester, the rec seems to be packed for a while then seems to die down,” Schulz said. “The wait is longer than normal for machines in the weight room. I mostly only have to wait about 30 seconds or a minute for a machine, but ended up working in between sets with other girls so I was able to use the machines.”

Some people said now was a good time to start a healthier lifestyle.

“My friend and I decided to go to the rec this semester,” said Anne Zaletel, undeclared freshman. “Last semester, we didn’t go to the rec at all, but we are making time to go this semester. We normally try to run, but now it’s cold so we decided to go to the rec because it’s warmer there, which may make us work longer.”

Kara Pasker, freshman in exercise and sport science, said she was just trying to get back in the routine of exercising regularly.

“Usually I try to work out all year, but I stop during breaks because I am not around facilities with work-out and weight machines,” Pasker said. “I have been working out regularly since going back to school and plan on continuing to go to the rec on a regular basis.”

The Rec Center isn’t the only placed that has gotten busier.

Nikki Dueker, employee at Beyer Hall, noticed it has been “kind of frantic.”

“People ask about the facility hours more and at the beginning of the semester, there is an increase in use for a few weeks until people start to slack off, and especially when the weather gets nicer out,” said Dueker, junior in zoology.