Going to the gym on a consistent basis is tough for a lot of us, however for Dr. Mel Markowski and his wife Betsy, the Campus Recreation & Wellness community has been apart of their routine for over 25 years. Dr. Markowski is a retired member of the ECU faculty and he visits the Student Recreation Center (SRC) on a very frequent basis. How frequent you ask, well Dr. Markowski has been coming to the SRC on almost a daily basis. Dr. Markowski enjoys the faculty/staff group fitness classes that are offered everyday at noon. His attendance in these classes didn’t just come about, but instead, it was a deal he made while away for a meeting that sparked his enjoyment for group fitness.
“I was a jogger, I mean I jogged. I did that for a lot of years and at the time, one of our graduate students was an instructor in the aerobics program and we were going to a meeting in Chicago. She kept on asking me: ‘When are you going to come over to the recreation center and do the faculty/staff workouts?’” Dr. Markowski responded and told his graduate student that if she jogged with him in Chicago then he would go to the recreation center and attend a group fitness class. His graduate student did just that and being a man of his word, Dr. Markowski honored his promise.
When asked what motivates him on a day to day basis, Dr. Markowski stated that it was his father’s ability to workout into his mid 80s. “My dad lived until 93 and until I think he was 85 or 86, he always worked out.” It is because of this that Dr. Markowski continues to strive for a life of wellness.
Dr. Markowski elaborated further about his motivation, even noting his perseverance through difficult times. “Monday through Friday both of us [Mel and his wife] come to the recreation center pretty much every week. I think it’s the structure, secondly it’s staying in shape that keeps me motivated. I had a triple bi-pass about 8 years ago and once I recovered from that, I came right back and haven’t had any problems.”
For Dr. Markowski, the secret to a healthy lifestyle is pretty simple. “For me, I think the structure of saying ‘I’m going to do this every day’ helps me not eat too much or at least stay active. Some people I know, their whole structure is sitting down and reading, writing or doing research stuff. That’s good and of course I did that when I had to do it, but when I finished, it was not my style. When I was a kid, I was outside playing ball all day. So finishing and retiring means I was able to be outside doing something. Since I’m not outside jogging, this [the Student Recreation Center] is enough; I come over, keep hydrated, sweat a bit, take a shower and then [move on] to another part of the day that I’m ready for.”
Campus Recreation & Wellness’ slogan is plastered all over the facilities and when asked about the slogan, Dr. Markowski chuckled and said, “Play hard and it helps you live well.”
Credits:
Kevin Puente' and Jackson Creech