Ping Center rolled in $270,915 worth of new fitness equipment for Ohio University students at the start of Spring Semester.
After the old equipment was beyond repair or replacement, the university decided it was time to invest in 68 new pieces equipment, Meagan Wain, assistant director of Ping Center and Walter Fieldhouse, said.
“We had a lot of out-dated pieces that had been due for renewal for a long time,” Wain said in an email.
The previous Cybex weight equipment was removed because the line of equipment has since been discontinued, making it difficult to replace or repair Ping’s equipment when it broke, Wain said.
That equipment was purchased in 1995, marking about 20 years of use by OU students.
The old cardio equipment was traded in through LifeFitness, an exercise equipment manufacturer, Wain said.
After the project was paid for through the Campus Recreation Repair and Replacement Budget, Ping acquired 25 Hammer Strength weight pieces, 25 LifeFitness treadmills, 10 LifeFitness bikes, one Marpo rope trainer, one Jacobs Ladder, two StairMaster Gauntlets and four FreeMotion Dual Cable Cross machines. The Campus Recreation budget is run through the general fee students pay each year.
“I think that it’s great they’re updated. It was definitely needed,” Teghan Piper, a sophomore studying athletic training, said.
Piper, who had just finished her workout after her classes for the day, added there are a lot more options for working out because of the new equipment.
When Piper first saw the new equipment, she said she was shocked at how nice it looked in the cardio room.
“It’s a lot better. It’s more smooth so it’s easier,” she said.
The last time Ping bought new equipment was in 2015 when the weight room and functional fitness rooms on the first floor were remodeled, she added.
In the future, Wain said the university plans to assess the equipment's condition and needs for replacement every three to five years.
Since the equipment was installed, Wain said the Ping staff noticed the cardio room being used more than it had been in years.
“Feedback has been very positive and hopefully students will now have a more positive workout experience,” Wain said in an email.
Blake Weissman, a freshman studying finance, said he enjoys the new equipment, citing how smooth the new weights are while he’s lifting.
“I just like the new feeling of the new equipment,” he said.
Weissman added that proper athletic equipment is essential for students to have on campus.
“I personally think health is very important to the student's life, so I think it was a good investment,” he said. “The better you work out, the longer you live.”
