One year ago, ISU opened the doors to the new Student Fitness Center. Near the facility’s anniversary, another milestone was reached and exceeded, having recently hosted its 500,000th visitor.

According to Andy Read, assistant director of Campus Recreation, on December 6, the benchmark visit was made by an ISU student.

“I think we weren’t 100 percent sure what to expect [when the facility opened] but I think we were all very satisfied with the participation levels we are receiving,” Read said.

Dawn Sanner, executive director of Campus Recreation and the Student Fitness Center, explained part of the success of the rec center is owed to the way in which the builders and designers invested the needs and desires of ISU students from the very beginning of the project.

“Students were the ones who identified the need for the facility … [and] that over 63 percent of the eligible students have used the facility at some point in both the fall and spring semesters, [which] tells me we are providing a service students want and need,” Sanner said.

In addition to this statistic, the Student Fitness Center has expanded group fitness classes based on the demand of the students, Read said.

Daily Vidette Archive Photo: The Student Fitness Center officially opened its doors to students on January 9, 2011. Nearly one year after opening, the rec center hosted its 500,000th visitor, an ISU student, on December 6, 2011.

Some classes include the highly popular Zumba, yoga and cycling, with each running multiple times per week.  

Although the climbing wall is one of the more exciting services the facility offers, Read added he would like to see more students signing up for belay workshops in order to become more involved during open climbing hours.

Read explained the staff at the Student Fitness Center is constantly on the lookout for ways to improve the facility and services, as well as encouraging the students to give their feedback. Group fitness is especially dependent on participation numbers.

According to the Campus Recreation website, the building is home to “over 22,000 square feet of cardio and weight training space, four fitness studios, multiple sport courts, an indoor track, swimming pool, climbing wall and much more.” These features have made the rec center a “crown jewel on campus,” Read said. 

Not only is ISU’s Student Fitness Center a great place to get or stay in shape, Sanner explained, it is also a wonderful tool for students in the professional fitness field.

“Many of the 200 students working in the Campus Recreation programs are students who are applying knowledge learned in the classroom.  [Kinesiology] students make up a great portion of our student fitness team and students from many programs are gaining great experiences for their post-college career,” she said.

For updated information on group fitness classes, programs, belay certification training and hours, visit CampusRecreation.IllinoisState.edu or call (309) 438-PLAY.