I am saddened to read, on the CSM website, the reason for the Prince Frederick campus fitness center closure. Here is my Prince Frederick fitness center experience:
For the last six years, I enrolled and attended the personal enrichment fitness classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, classes geared to the senior population and community at large. In CSM’s catalogs, over the years, is written about this personal enrichment class:
Advancing age and inactivity result in reduced balance, flexibility, and physical endurance due to the loss of lean muscle tissue. Scientific research proves that progressive resistance training can safely and effectively reverse this trend for all populations. Under the guidance and supervision of a certified fitness professional, you will utilize strength and balance equipment to train your body in dynamic functional movements, increasing physical capacity and decreasing age-related risk factors. This course is perfect for senior participants!
I made great strides under the excellent fitness instructor who led the classes. She was a talented professional, thoughtful, engaging and fun. Fellow students and the camaraderie we developed was an extra bonus.
So, it is frustrating to read that the reason for the closure was because there was limited usage at the center. The fact is, the Prince Frederick fitness center floor space could not safely hold the participant numbers that would give CSM the revenue it desired. Canceling the popular classes was shortsighted and an example of a public college placing profits ahead of the greater public good; specifically, denying the citizens and taxpayers of nearby Charles and St. Mary’s Counties and all of Calvert County the use of the campus for fitness activities. The rooms will be used for personal enrichment classes (but not fitness classes), including instructional dance classes. Dance class participants will need a lot more room than is available.
