As the holiday season approaches and extra pounds start to pile on, many students are compelled to use the Lied Recreation Center.

The Iowa State Wellness Center is now offering a program to students and faculty to better acquaint them with the facilities at the rec.

Deanna Greving, student exercise physiologist at the Wellness Center, and Kim Mills, graduate student in health and human performance, are coordinating the project.

“The program is to help students and staff understand how to correctly and efficiently work out,” Greving said. “It’s not a personal training program. It’s a one or two time thing to help familiarize someone with the equipment.”

She said classes focus on the correct way to use the fitness machines and free weights.

It also can be helpful to students who have never done an exercise program before or haven’t been active in a while, or even for students familiar with the rec, Mills said.

“For someone who has never done an exercise program before, it will help them learn how to properly lift weights, stretch, warm up and cool down,” she said. “For people familiar with the rec who are at a plateau in their program, [the rec orientation program] can give them more ideas to get past their plateau.”

Students should walk away from the program with several benefits, Mills said. “It should give students a general knowledge of an exercise program.”

Nikki Quastad, senior in exercise and sport science, is an intern at the Wellness Center and conducts the orientation seminars.

“A lot of people don’t know how to properly use the machines,” Quastad said. “We write a basic program to get them started.”

She said the program might help students who are intimidated by the rec center.

“Students are also afraid to go to the rec if they’ve never been there before,” she said. “By going to the rec once with them, it helps them feel more comfortable the next time. And some students don’t ask the workers at the rec when they have a question about a machine, and that’s where the program can help.”

Quastad said she decided to give the orientations because it would give her “a little experience working with people.”

The orientation program is available to students and staff, Greving said. Those interested in participating in the program can call the Wellness Center for an appointment at 294-1868.