Sign-up sheets in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center are available for “Bod Buddies,” a fitness program conducted by freshman Keenan Hogan as part of his Leadership Institution Campus Action Project.

The idea for “Bod Buddies” was inspired by students not wanting to workout alone.

“Because I personally like to run or lift weights with friends, I started thinking of how other students could find fellow Ichabods to work out with,” said Hogan. “The basic premise is that staying healthy requires people to get active and to have someone encourage them to do so. It might help to pair people with a workout partner to help them to persevere and not give up.”

Bod Buddies promotes exercising by providing a workout partner, or “buddy,” to push each other towards a more healthy and physically fit lifestyle. There are multiple categories that students have the option of choosing from weightlifting, running, swimming, basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, flexibility/stretching and rock climbing.

Anyone with access to the SRWC can participate and pick up detailed information and schedules at the front desk.

“I hope that the community finds the program to be helpful in getting them more active and healthy while having fun and making new friends,” said Hogan. “Too many people are attached to the idea that working out can’t be fun.”

He also mentioned that this program is only a prototype of better and bigger things to come.

“I would love to see this program expand into even more accessible online databases where WU students could get access to lists of potential Bod Buddies to work out with,” said Hogan.

He spent countless hours putting all the pieces of the new program together, and received support from fellow students on campus who contributed ideas, criticism, and different perspectives to the development of the program. He also mentioned SRWC director Joel Bluml was a big asset to the creation of Bod Buddies.

Hogan hopes the program will receive support from students looking for motivation to work out.