The new school year means new classes, clubs, and roommates. How about a new fitness routine, too?

BU’s Fitness & Recreation Center, better known as FitRec, is free for full-time students. On West Campus, next to Agganis Arena, the gym (which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in April) boasts tons of classes and programs throughout the year. And to get you up to speed, it’s hosting a FitRec Fun Day on Wednesday, September 11, from 4 to 7 pm. This annual open house will have info about memberships and the center’s facilities, free classes to try out, swag (including Hydro Flasks), and free snacks. 

Kayleigh Ventrone (COM’22), FitRec assistant marketing manager, says the facility has something for everyone, from veteran gym-goers to those wanting to pick up a new hobby. Try a ballet class or a tennis class, swim laps, go on an outdoor adventure, or work out on some of the hundreds of pieces of equipment. For gym rats, FitRec has machines like squat racks, deadlift platforms, lat pull-down and cable row machines, and treadmills. It also has loads of dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and other free weights.

A few more important FitRec updates:

September 16 to 22 is FitRec’s “FitPass Free Week.” FitRec sells a FitPass, which gives users unlimited access to group classes, including barre pilates fusion, rock climbing, TRX Circuit, and Zumba. In mid-September, BU community members can sample all FitPass classes free of charge. Just know that registration opens two hours prior to the start of each class and reservations are required. Learn more about FitPass and find prices here.

FitRec will hold special free climb nights for women and nonbinary people (September 18, 5 to 7 pm) and LGBTQIA+ folks (November 13, 5 to 7 pm). These events are meant to cultivate a space for students to connect in a supportive environment, Ventrone says.

Returning this fall are FitRec’s popular Outdoor Trips, which are open to students, faculty, and staff, with transportation included in the price. Trips include sunset kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, foraging, and apple picking, and gear rentals are offered. There’s even a trip to Costa Rica over intersession and to Utah’s National Parks during spring break. Browse through upcoming trips and register here.

If you’ve walked past the BU Beach recently, you may have noticed the new outdoor fitness equipment that’s been installed. A gift from an alum’s parent (who wishes to remain anonymous), the Outletics equipment includes pull-down and shoulder-press machines, a rower, a pull-up bar, and others. Learn more about the equipment and find instructional videos here.

One last thing! FitRec’s Physical Education Classes (PDP) recently transitioned from the Registrar’s system to the Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (PERD) department’s own software management system. Ventrone says this change was done to make things easier for students and hopefully will reduce fees, stop incomplete grades leading to graduation issues, and remove the credit aspect of the classes for those students who choose to overload. Ventrone says that this fall semester, FitRec already has seen a 17 percent increase in registrants compared to last semester, with several weeks of registration to go.