Gym culture at Stanford is about more than just getting fit. For many, it’s about the additional benefits that come with going to the gym — including improving mental health, building a routine or finding a community where they belong.

Joshua Leaston, a third-year medical student, is a regular gym-goer who says that exercise helps him decompress after having a long day.

He credits exercise with helping him “grow into the human” he hopes to be. Because work in academia can feel isolating at times, Leaston expressed gratitude for the strong community the gym fosters. 

“Sometimes you’ve had a long, hard day. The one thing that I know for certain is that this gym is going to be here,” Leaston said. “People [whom] I care about and like are going to be in the gym.”  

Leaston is not the only Stanford student who appreciates the opportunity to go to the gym. According to Stanford’s Recreation and Wellness annual snapshot, there were a total of 527,769 total student visits to athletic facilities across campus during the 2021-2022 academic year. 

There are two main gyms on campus that are open to Stanford students. The Arrillaga Center for Sports & Recreation — colloquially referred to as  “Nearrillaga” — and the Arrillaga Outdoor Education and Recreation Center (AOERC) — lovingly deemed “Farrillaga” for its West Campus location. Both of these gyms offer gym equipment and indoor recreation areas. Farrillaga also includes a 50-meter outdoor pool and climbing wall while Nearrillaga is home to the Stanford Fencing and Squash team.

Rincheen Sherpa ’24 said she started going to the gym consistently this year. Sherpa said keeping a consistent gym routine has helped her build discipline in other areas of life as well, like academics. Exercising has allowed her to become more aware of her time management skills and helped her incorporate self-care methods into her daily life.  

That positive community in the gym was a reason Yazeed Demyati, a researcher at Life Science Research Program 1 (LSRP1), continues to go to the gym. After coming to Stanford, Demyati was able to meet people who shared similar goals of self improvement and found a positive community to join at the gym.

“You sort of feel a [sense of] belonging here,” Demyati said. “Whether you’re doing research or whether you’re a student, you feel like you’re part of a community, not just as the gym, but also as Stanford as a whole.” 

While it can be hard to start going to the gym or establishing a gym routine, Sherpa said it is important to be flexible and not worry about others’ perceptions. In her gym journey, she started off slow by going on treadmills before gradually incorporating more complex routines with weights. 

“Nobody’s perceiving you as much as you’re perceiving yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. We all start somewhere and the journey is yours,” Sherpa said.