It can’t be put off any longer. The week for all NIU students, faculty members and staff to become physically fit has come.

Timex Fitness Week, sponsored by Ocean Spray and the Office of Campus Recreation, consists of specially-coordinated workout activities that aim to promote the awareness of physical fitness. All events began yesterday and will continue until Thursday, Oct. 22.

“The goal of the week is to increase awareness of physical fitness,” said Tricia Shanahan, OCR coordinator for fitness and sport clubs.

She said the week also is designed to promote physical fitness and to show NIU students how to work fitness into their schedules.

Among the events is the Timex Condition Competition, which tests students’ fitness levels and compares the scores to the national standards.

This event will take place today from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Holmes Student Center, Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Grant Towers North and from 4 to 6 p.m. at Douglas Hall.

The winners of the Condition Competition will be announced Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

Also taking place today from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at the Rec Center is a “funky-step aerobics” class.

Also on Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. will be “The World’s Largest Aerobics Class.” This is a free, low-impact aerobic class held in the OCR’s multipurpose gym area.

The class is taught by trained instructors who teach at the OCR, Shanahan said. “We’re going to try to get at least 100 people,” she said.

Participating students in the aerobics class will be eligible to win a Timex sports watch, free aerobics classes and official Timex Fitness Week T-shirts.

Over 250 universities nationwide participate in Timex Fitness Week. Several hundred students have participated in the past at NIU, and she said she hopes to attract more.

For more information contact Tricia Shanahan at 753-9421 or Jeffery Luckett at 753-0229.