Working out just got a little bit harder.
As part of an ongoing expansion project at Southwest Recreation Center, almost all cardio room machines will be moved to basketball court No. 4 by Saturday, with the exception of the 16 treadmills.
Two of the treadmills will be available in the weight room, and the rest will be stored on a racquetball court because the basketball court does not have electricity to power them, said Gary Zetrouer, associate director for resource and project management for the Department of Recreational Sports.
The machines will remain on the court until the expansion is completed. In the meantime, Southwest has ordered two tread boards, which are similar to treadmills but don’t require power to operate, he said.
“Think of it as a gerbil wheel,” said Patrick Reynolds, a fitness associate at Southwest. “You walk in, and it’s a giant wheel.”
Amber Pope, 19, said she works out at Southwest five days a week. She said the change was awkward. But after spending 10 minutes trying to find parking at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center Tuesday night, Pope said she’ll remain at Southwest.
Angela Garcia, a fitness associate at the Student Rec Center said there are five treadmills in the strength and conditioning room at the Student Rec Center and five in the O’Connell Center Weight Room.
However, her primary recommendation is that students start running outside. Garcia said she prefers to run on the track course at James G. Pressly Stadium, which is open to the public daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
