With swimsuit season right around the corner, many students are looking to be in the best shape possible for spring break. But it can be hard to find the right time to visit Gregory Gym — when it isn’t filled with people.

On average, 88 percent of students use UT RecSports facilities and resources in some way to their advantage during the school year, whether that be participating in an intramural sport or running on the treadmill. Known as the most popular recreation center on campus, Gregory Gym is constantly filled with a variety of muscular, protein-driven students, each trying to get in their recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day. Meanwhile, less enthused students elect to skip the gym because it is too busy. It can also be hard to determine the best time to squeeze in any type of physical activity with such a busy schedule. 

According to UT RecSports, it seems the most popular time to exercise is on the weekdays from 5 to 8 p.m., but William Mupo, health promotion coordinator for University Health Services, said that the best time to work out is ultimately whenever is most convenient for you. 

“The most important thing is that it gets done,” Mupo said. “People tend to have less scheduled in the evening, which makes working out convenient for most people. It can be a challenge to train the body to wake up early and exercise if you’re not accustomed to it, but some people feel the most energy in the morning and that works the best for them.” 

Biology freshman Gabi Garcia said she wakes up early to avoid the swarm of people at Gregory.

“Last semester, I only went to Gregory about three times,” Garcia said. “Every time I went it was so packed I could hardly find a machine. Usually, when it is too packed, I’ll just do abs in the corner, not really accomplishing what I wanted to get done. This semester, I have been waking up at 7 (a.m.) to work out and there are still more people than expected, even that early.”

Nonetheless, working out in the evening is not a completely lost cause for students who would prefer to exercise after the school day is done. While Gregory’s close proximity and reputation of being the campus gym serve many students well, UT offers a variety of different fitness options that see significantly less visitors.  

Jennifer Speer, director of communications for UT RecSports, said Bellmont Hall, located inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, and the Recreational Sports Center offer students access to a range of resources including weight rooms, cardiovascular training and a number of multipurpose rooms which are available and just a short walk from Gregory.

“We have an amazing weight room in Bellmont that I think a lot of students are unaware of,” Speer said. “It is the most updated, and the locker rooms are awesome. The (Recreational Sports Center), which is down at 20th and San Jacinto, is also a great option for students because they don’t see the same peaks (in attendance) as Gregory does.”