Weinberg sophomore Rachel Leess used to brave the 20-minute walk from her South Campus dorm to the Sports Pavilion and Aquatics Center.

Fed up with the trek, she now works out at a closer gym – the Evanston Athletic Club.

Leess, who lives in Allison Hall, said she was also intimidated by the athletes who frequented SPAC.

“Part of the reason I didn’t like SPAC was because it was just intimidating with so many guys who knew what they were doing,” she said, finishing strength training at the EAC Monday afternoon. “I definitely see a lot of girls from Northwestern here.”

Leess, who pays a student price of $45 a month, is not the only female NU student who has ditched the hike to SPAC in favor of the stroll to the club. Club manager Amy Whalen, who has worked at the gym for 15 years, said that student memberships have been on the rise ever since she started working there. Whalen estimates that 15 percent of club members are NU students.

“What I hear is our classes are of a better variety and we have more variation,” Whalen said.

Whalen said the athletic club offers 25 different daily classes ranging from yoga to spinning to swimming, which are included in the membership price. At NU facilities, students can purchase a cardiovascular package, which includes classes like kickboxing, for $69 a quarter. Yoga classes cost students $79 a quarter.

But Dan Bulfin, director of fitness and recreation at NU, isn’t worried about losing students to the athletic club.

Competition is expected between on-campus fitness centers and those in Evanston, he said. Blomquist Recreation Center, Patten Gym and SPAC are still thriving, he said. Around 1,500 people visit SPAC, 400 people visit Blomquist and 350 visit Patten every day.

“In our prime time, we’re still seeing people waiting in line to use our facilities,” Bulfin said. “My impression is that most of the EAC members are grad students and those who live in the south and have a disposable income. People are motivated by convenience more than anything else.”

Not all NU students want to pay for membership at the athletic club.

Music sophomore Julia Marquis, who lives on South Campus, said a simple trek to Blomquist saves money and gives her the workout she wants.

“Membership can get really expensive,” Marquis said. “With gym membership already included in tuition, why not take advantage of it?”

Reach Vincent Bradshaw at [email protected]