Last modified 15.3.2011 at 13:16

Mind rests when pulse rises

Text and photos: Susanna Siironen

Outside it is freezing but you do not notice that inside the Raksila indoor swimming pool. ”Hit it!” Someone shouts next to me. But isn't it a crime to incite to violence? Well that does not matter now, you just have to hit hard.

People in the boxing lesson may also take contact to a living opponent. Jari Veteläinen and Raimo Nevalainen are fighting in the picture.

In the indoor swimming pool’s basement, in the boxing hall to be exact, a boxing course arranged by Oulu University of Applied Sciences is going on. Interval training gets your sweat dripping, instructor Jimi Parkkinen advises a beginner.

- Remember to keep you hands straight. And the strike comes from the whole body.

Everybody else is whisking for their lives around me. I am feeling confused. I cannot help thinking how my legs should be although I should be thinking about my hands. This is something completely different from the exercise in a sweaty gymnasium.

Co-operation

Oulu UAS wants to keep its students fit by offering a possibility to exercise for a student-friendly price. Sports Officer Aki Hentilä tells that there are almost 50 different sports and services available.

- This autumn we started co-operating with University of Oulu. This way we got a lot of new supply and the offer of our services increased.

The Oulu UAS and the University of Oulu have a common Sports Pass in use. With the Sports Pass you can go in for all the sports that are offered. For some of the courses you also have to pay a small participation fee.

- at the moment the Sports Pass costs 15 euros for an academic year at Oulu UAS. And frankly, that is dirt cheap, Aki laughs.

In future Sports Pass price may rise a bit so that participation fees wouldn’t be necessary anymore.

- It makes operations easier when you do not have to charge a fee of few euros. We also want to consentrate as many services and different exercises as possible under the Sports Pass. With a higher price this is possible, Aki tells.

Raimo Nevalainen optimises boxing. Aki Hentilä says that students can also make a wish about new sports and courses by email.

Jam in the courses

Aki tells that different forms of physical activities arranged by Oulu UAS are very popular. Weekly attendance is almost 3,500 persons. Among others the most popular are different kinds of gymnastic exercise and yoga. All the interested can’t even get in.

- The problem is commitment. At first some course may be full, but then some of the people drop out. It would be good to inform right way if you aren’t going to continue the course, because that way we can take more participants in the course, Aki advises.

Aki says that students exercise also leads the way often.

- When new sports come in the city we take them for testing. Examples of this have been for example fit walking and fitness karate.

Aki tells that a good selection remains when they keep popular sports and then there are those which change every year.

After boxing there is a wound on my right knuckles. The feeling is like I was a little child who had lost her first tooth; proud but painful at the same time. I just want to show my bruise to everyone. I am going to try this again!