The New Year has finally arrived and university recreational facilities are feeling the burn.

Robert Jech, membership services director of the Department of Recreational Sports, said he notices the increase in attendance at Ohio State’s recreational centers when students return from winter break.

“(Attendance increases) pretty significantly,” he said. “It’s the most high traffic throughout the year.”

About 59,543 BuckID swipes were recorded for all recreational facilities during the first full week of Winter Quarter classes last year, according to an attendance report from the Department of Recreational Sports. Of these swipes, 37,223 were from the RPAC alone. Swipes are required for students to enter recreational facilities.

In the last week of January 2011, the total number of swipes at these facilities had decreased by about 2,500 swipes per week, as compared to the first week of January.

But Jech said traffic throughout Winter Quarter is relatively consistent.

“It’s most steady (during Winter Quarter),” he said. “There’s not a lot of options outside the RPAC. People are running outside during the other seasons.”

Jech said the RPAC’s outdoor grass fields are closed during the winter, which might cause students to turn to the inside of the facility for exercise.

Jech also believes the increase in students’ gym use during Winter Quarter could be because of their desire to work out for upcoming vacations, he said.

“I think a lot of it has to do with spring break too,” he said. “I think a lot of people have made spring break plans.”

But Emily Aubry, a third-year in marketing, said she planned to use the university’s exercise facilities more for her New Year’s resolution.

“It’s more of a health goal – work out more, eat healthy,” she said.

However, some students said they have a hard time sticking with their new goals for an entire year.

Alex Ruda, a second-year in logistics management, said she makes a New Year’s resolution to go to the gym more each year.

“That’s always what it is, the gym, and it never happens,” she said.

Annie Sidwell, a third-year in finance, offered an explanation as to why people have trouble sticking with their objectives.

“They kind of dwindle out as the year goes on,” she said. “You kind of keep with whatever habits you’ve had over the years and it’s kind of hard to break those habits.”

Ruda said she doesn’t stick to her resolutions because it is not a part of her usual routine.

“It always has to do with something that I never do to begin with so I never end up doing it,” she said.