By JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF
Tiger Media Network
The FHSU Tiger Fitness Center has relocated to a temporary location due to maintenance being done on the HVAC in the building. The Fitness Center closed over Fall Break and reopened in its new temporary location inside the Gross Memorial Coliseum (GMC) Weight Room (RM 136, between gates one and four).
The Tiger Fitness Center will remain in this location for part of the spring semester until maintenance has been completed, and it is currently expected to be back in the normal Tiger Fitness Center location with regular operating hours by early March.
Tiger Fitness Center Coordinator Anthony Fox said the university scheduled this maintenance last summer.
“The A/C above the facility has been working overtime and has not been able to keep up these last few summers, so it was finally decided that it would need to be replaced very quickly,” Fox said.
Fox says that although the timing for the repairs was not ideal, the center is excited to have a system that will keep FHSU’s students, faculty, staff, and student workers safe and comfortable during their time in the facility.
To get to the new facility, students, faculty, and staff will enter GMC using gate one or gate four. Patrons will enter the weight room through the doorway just beside the garage-style door by RM 136.
“There will be some weekends where we must use the door in the hallway by Athletics and gate four, but that should not be too often,” Fox said.
Fox said scheduling accommodations have been made to work around early morning athlete practices, team lifting sessions in the mid-morning/afternoons, home basketball games, and any home wrestling tournaments.
“Athletics has been great about working with us – we know it’s not ideal for everyone, including some of the teams, but they have all been quite accommodating, helpful, and understanding,” he said.
Fox thanks the athletics department and the athletes themselves for their continued flexibility.
“I would have to say, the entire athletics department has been rockstars at working with us,” he said. “They’ve helped adjust their floor plan by moving equipment around to create more space and the coaches have also been proactive at communicating about daily/weekly updates in their schedules, which has been extremely helpful.”
Fox advocates for students to continue to exercise throughout the winter even though it is sometimes difficult to muster the motivation while classes are not in session.
“During the winter, it’s just as important to stay active and exercise because activity helps release a lot of endorphins and feel-good hormones. My experience as a personal trainer has allowed me to see firsthand how people who continue to workout during the winter often find themselves to be in a better mental state than when they have not,” he said. “Many of my previous clients felt more productive at work, were able to be more positive with the change in weather & lack of sunlight, had a better outlook on their lives, and were less stressed around the holidays.”
Fox encourages everyone to follow the FHSU Tiger Fitness Center’s social media pages (Facebook – FHSU Tiger Fitness Center & Instagram – fhsu_fitness) as that will be the fastest way to see upcoming announcements, events and schedules while students are off-campus.
“Our hours will be posted in student announcement emails, faculty/staff emails, in the HHP office, signs around the building, and on our social media pages Facebook and Instagram,” he said.
Fox can be reached for further information at his FHSU email: akfox2@fhsu.edu.