Fitness
To keep some sense of sanity while going through school, you’ll need some time away from your books. One common pastime is getting good ol’ fashioned exercise. You might find that you spend so much time in your scrubs that you don’t notice all of those lunchtime lectures (which ALWAYS serve pizza or Wegmans subs) catching up with you. Don’t convince yourself that you don’t have time to work out, either; although there may be some days when you just can’t squeeze exercise in, usually you WILL be able to make the time.
The school has facilities in Alumni Arena on North Campus, and also in Clark Hall on South Campus. The gyms offer swimming, racquetball, basketball, weight lifting, and more. Many people head over to the North Campus gym, which often gets very crowded. Intramurals in a variety of sports are offered in the fall and spring at North Campus and are popular among undergrads and graduate students alike.
The Clark Gym is a short walk from class. It has everything you really need, and you’ve already paid for it. For $25 extra, you can get a locker bigger than your closet all to yourself for the year. Clark is across the Diefendorf parking lot. It is “historic”, meaning it’s really old and has a weird smell. It opens late and closes early, so check the hours before you go.
Some students join one of the area’s many health clubs: Planet Fitness, Gold’s Gym, Bally’s, JCC, YMCA, Buffalo Athletic Club (BAC), or the Village Glen. Some of these facilities offer student rates, so if working out is really important to you and you can budget it, it is certainly worth it to join a private gym.
During the nicer weather (yes, Buffalo does occasionally have nice weather), biking, rollerblading, and
jogging are popular activities, especially on the area’s bike paths. The Ellicott Creek Trailway is a five-mile path that runs right through North Campus and is very popular among UB students. Other area trails include the Amherst Canal Trail, the Hopkins Road Boardwalk and Trail, and the Niawanda Park Trail. Delaware Park is a good place to walk or run if you’re looking for some green in the city.
Golf is also a very popular sport; you may as well learn it now: we’ll all need to know how to play someday. The area has many courses open to the public in all price ranges. Hiking is also very popular. You may want to head out to Letchworth or Allegheny State Parks to check out the trails. Stony Brook is another great camping location that has natural water slides in the rocks and several great waterfalls.
During the winter months, don’t just complain about the snow - get out there and enjoy it! There are several ski areas nearby, and a weekend trip to Vermont is easy to do. [Actually, Vermont is a seven to eight hour car trip one way, so it’s not “easy” in the middle of exams! You may want to stick to the local ski areas until winter break rolls around.] Cross-country skiing is another popular winter sport, and you’ll find places all over the area where you can cross-country ski. You can also ice-skate downtown, or go snow tubing at Holiday Valley or Peek’n Peak for a fun day out in the snow.
Running is also popular in Buffalo. You’ll see runners out on the streets just about everywhere in the city. Several races are conducted throughout the year (5Ks, 10Ks, and marathons). Many of our classmates participated in the Buffalo Marathon this past year. The race zigzags around the city, and you can run the full marathon or just half. If you’re not a serious runner, just go jog around the city for a study break! Running is very cathartic after you’ve been memorizing muscle attachments all day.