Johnson Gym At The University Of New Mexico Biography

Officially opened in the year 1957, the Johnson gymnasium at the University of Mexico is no doubt one of the most famous facilities of its nature in the institutions of higher learning across the country. Named after the well-known coach of the then popular basketball team – the New Mexico lobos – the open multipurpose arena was initially home of the same team (New Mexico Basketball 2001-02 Yearbook 21). Today, it acts as the home ground of the famous Lobo Volleyball team, one that has performed exemplarily in big matches. The multipurpose arena has a sitting capacity of 4000. Currently, the arena offers many services under the same roof. Basically, the gymnasium is designed to serve the varying needs of the student population. This profile essay aims at expounding on the services offered at the said gymnasium.
The modern society is health conscious. As such, we all aim at maintaining good health and staying away from diseases and other lifestyle related conditions, such as stress and depression, which could later cause such serious conditions as heart diseases, stomach ulcers and high blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension. It is for this reason that the Johnson Gym offers services that help students relieve stress. Primarily, the gymnasium focuses on using exercises to deal with stress. According to the experts in physical wellness, there are many ways through which exercises can help reduce and get rid of stress. Foremost, the equipment available at Johnson Gym helps the stressed students engage their minds on the exercise, hence distract their thoughts from the stressful situations. Such services as aerobics, yoga and Pilates, help the students under stress concentrate on the body’s welfare.
Speaking of aerobics and yoga, they are arguably the best exercises or activities at the Johnson Gym, if stress remains persistent. The instructors and advisors at the Johnson Gym recommend guide students through the sessions. They recommend aerobics for the stressed student because unlike most of the other exercises, aerobics is accompanied by music. Music, according to stress therapists, is a healer. It gets the exerciser carried away and feeling easy. This way, they set aside all other life’s stresses and feel relieved. Along with the music-accompanied exercises, the state-of-the-art facility has other elements such as areas designed specifically for relaxation. Such features encourage the gym goers to have social time, where they can effectively communicate and offer social support to one another. The Yoga experts help all stressed gym goers meditate, reflect and relieve their minds. Such reflection time is essential as it assists the straining students find comfort at the Johnson gym.
One of the most alarming concerns in the current era is weight management. Managing body weight can be a stressful problem, especially in the youthful years. While this is the case, it is important to point out that there are different weight problems. Foremost, the ultimate weight problem is that of being overweight. Students at the University of New Mexico enjoy the privilege of using the gym equipment in reducing their weight. In so doing, they can rely on the use of weights, jogging, using the lobo cycling, the aerobics and such other exercises and equipment. The gymnasium, which is complete with a nutritional counseling section, offers the dietary recommendations necessary for the desired weight management aspects of the exercising programs. This is a unique feature as it strikes the much professionally recommended balance between the physical exercise and the dietary modifications. Weight management, a concept always pronounced in the same breath with physical fitness is attained through such exercises as turbo kicking and zumba, which are both offered at the Johnson Gymnasium in the University of New Mexico.
In addition to the desire to lose weight, the Johnson Gymnasium also offers weight gain practices. This is majorly done in conjunction with the nutrition section of the facility. Weight gaining, which is less popular than the weight losing practices requires a lot of guidance. Such guidance is available and offered by the instructors as well as the experts in the field of physical wellness. Worth mentioning is the sporting aspect of the arena. It is imperative to mention the reality that the arena is associated with volleyball, particularly because it is the home of a popular team – the Lobo Volleyball. Along with volleyball, the arena is equipped with other facilities such as basket ball equipment. The availability of such equipments within the school compound promotes a very essential concept referred to as nurturing of talent. While this may considered being trivial and subordinate to academics, talent management and nurturing are equally important as they can come out as life-defining turning points. Needless to mention, the Johnson gymnasium is an architectural marvel (Hooker and Howard 119). While other facilities of the same cadre house fewer types of equipment and offer fewer services, the Johnson gym is exceptional. The spacious aspect of the facility does not only apply to the interior, but also the exterior. Needless to say, space is an essential aspect of any facility associated with sport, training, exercising and physical fitness. From the foregoing profile essay, it is clear that Johnson gym is a jewel in the institution – the University of New Mexico.

Works Cited

Hooker, Van D, and Melissa Howard. Only in New Mexico: An Architectural History of the University of New Mexico ; the First Century, 1889 - 1989. Albuquerque, NM: Univ. of New Mexico Press, 2000. Print.
New Mexico Basketball 2001-02 Yearbook. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico, New Mexico Athletics Media Relations Office, 2001. Print.