The first stage of the Truax Fitness Center renovations is complete and now offers students, staff, and faculty a new cardio center. The center holds 32 cardio machines including treadmills, elliptical equipment, and stationary bikes, and an open area for stretching. Eighteen new Cybex machines offer top-of-the-line fitness options.

Not only are there 14 more machines than previously available, but also there is now ample space between each machine. According to Scot Vesterdahl, Director of Fitness, Health and Recreation on the Madison College website, “You won’t feel like you’re exercising right on top of the person next to you.” Denise Stenklyft, Fitness, Health and Recreation Coordinator of Madison College is pleased with the spaciousness of the new cardio center. “The fitness center is not just for bodybuilding”, Stenklyft said, and she is hopeful students with a variety of fitness goals will be more comfortable in the increased space.

The cardio center occupies the space of the old racquetball courts, so racquetball is no longer available at the Truax campus. According to Dakota Cornille, a Student Help worker at the fitness center, the racquetball courts had many uses other than just racquetball, including a meeting location for yoga classes and a place for pre/post-workout stretching. These activities have found other homes: yoga classes are offered at the Health building, and one side of the cardio center is the new stretching area.

The cardio center will allow for other changes in the fitness center. As the hallways are no longer needed to store the cardio machines, the plan is to use one end of the hallway for free weights, currently located in the weight room. The weight room will be just for weight machines.

The cardio center is located on the second floor of the Fitness Center and can be reached via stairwell A-6 near the Truax Payment Center. A valid OneCard is required to use the cardio center and weight room or free weights. Check in is at the counter on the second floor. Other facilities available in the fitness center were unchanged by the remodeling, including the swimming pool, weight room and basketball courts.

To set up a personal tour of the fitness center or to find help using a machine, visit the Health, Fitness and Recreation Office on the first floor near the basketball courts, or visit the fitness center check-in.