Sports have always been a staple at Edina High School so it should come as no surprise that students seek out spots to exercise around the city. Working out is not only beneficial for the body, but it is also a great way to hang out with friends.

One of the most popular locations for students to exercise is right here at EHS, in the school weight room. “It’s fun [to work out there] and you can choose your own schedule and time to do it. I lift there because it’s convenient and has everything you can get in a normal weight room,” sophomore Jack Hilliker said.

Two additional features that make the EHS weight room a plus for students is that it is free and you run into people you know. “I like [the school weight room] because I know the people there and there are a bunch of coaches, and it’s free,” Hilliker said.  One downside is that the school weight room is often crowded.

For this reason, some students choose to join a private gym despite the cost.  “Snap is really great because I can walk there and it’s not as crowded as the school gym”, sophomore Nick Landon said.  Snap Fitness has two Edina locations and has a lot to offer. “The establishment is well furnished, with all the machines and presses, treadmills and bikes, bathrooms, changing rooms, and a Yoga/low impact fitness room,” Landon said.  Although the comfort of knowing school friends can be appealing to some, branching out to a private gym can be a great way to meet new people. “I’ve befriended a lot of the regulars there,” Landon said.

Many students enrolled in sports at EHS still like to keep themselves in shape during the off-season. Senior Vivienne Kupiecki, a member of Lifetime Fitness, is active in sports for most of the year, but works out on her own and takes classes to maintain her competitive edge.  “I’ll sign up for amp cycle, which is basically a 50-minute soul cycling class. It’s a good class to practice interval and resistance training, and then after that, I will go to a 30-minute core class,” Kupiecki said. As a member of Twin Cities Youth Rowing, she plans to row competitively in college, so staying in shape and having fun while doing it is imperative, “other classes that are fun like warrior sculpt and TRX,” Kupiecki said.  

With all of the things that students at EHS have to juggle, keeping in shape can sometimes be difficult. Thankfully, Edina has much to offer those that would like to stay in shape. “Sometimes my other activities keep me from working out . . . but I think staying in shape is really important,” Landon said.