Wellness Happens Here: New Cardio Equipment Comes to Recreation & Wellbeing Facilities
Just in time for the Fall semester, students and the campus community can experience all new cardio equipment at the Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) and Memorial Stadium Fitness Center with the upgrade and replacement of approximately 150 pieces across both facilities.
The new top-of-the line equipment from global leaders in commercial fitness Life Fitness and Matrix, features the latest in technology and functionality on the market.
Want to listen to your favorite 80’s Pandora station? Or catch up on episodes of Netflix’s summer hit Stranger Things? Each piece is internet enabled and features a host of integrated apps for users to choose from.
“[I] really enjoyed being able to watch Netflix while I worked out, [it] was a fun way to keep me engaged in my workout” proclaimed Nick Schwartz, a first-year undeclared student in the College of Letters and Science.
Additional features and functionality of the equipment include:
- USB outlets to connect and charge you favorite Apple or Android device
- Intuitive interactive touch screens
- LF Connect – which allows users to track workout results from machine to machine and sync will popular fitness services including Fitbit and Jawbone
In speaking about Lifescape Interactive Courses, which helps bring workouts to life through personalized virtual experiences in immersive outdoor environments including Yosemite national park, the Trinity Mountains in Germany and the red rocks of Utah, Randy Myers – a personal trainer at the RSF – said he “love[s] the transportative quality” of the new equipment.
Randy hopes that these experiences will not only motivate users to stick with their workout, but possibly serve as inspiration for future adventures or trips.
Putting Students First
In 2015, UC Berkeley students identified the need for improved and expanded cardio, strength, relaxation, yoga and meditation programs and spaces across campus with the passing of the Wellness Referendum.
This emphatic statement by students, who are at the core of what Recreation & Wellbeing does, added further motivation for Recreation & Wellbeing leadership to take on such a comprehensive overhaul.
Recreation & Wellbeing is committed to supporting and prioritizing the student population and the initiatives 2015 Wellness Referendum, while balancing the programmatic needs of the Cal community.
After a thorough request for proposal (RFP) and with support from annual partner Bank of the West, Recreation & Wellbeing was able to implement a new cost saving lease model which includes improved warranties and ongoing maintenance as well as annual updates for a number of machines.
Continuing its history of supporting student-focused initiatives, Bank of the West provided a best-in-class loan, interest rate and payment schedule minimizing the financial implications of the project.
The new financial model will bring regular cost savings which will be used to help support Recreation & Wellbeing programs and services.
