The new fitness center has something for everyone in the spacious 10,000 square-foot space. Athletes and non-athletes alike can come together and work out in a less intense environment. The fitness center at Guilford has undergone many changes over the last year, but the new Mary Ragsdale Fitness Area has seen the largest response from the Guilford community.

“We’re running about 25 percent ahead as far as attendance compared to last year and I think at the end of the year we’re going to end up with 6,000 more people coming through here than we did last year,” PE Center Facilities Manager Mike Merkel said.

The gym, which was previously located where the racquetball courts are now, is now using the 10,000 square-foot space that was previously used for the indoor pool.

“I think it’s a lot bigger,” sophomore Thomas Cumby said. “It’s a lot nicer. I miss the pool but they did good with it by filling in the pool and putting a lot of good equipment in there. There is a lot more room so more people can fit in there. When it was in that tiny little room sometimes you had to wait a long time to use the machine you wanted.”

The old fitness center only had space for two reliable treadmills, three elliptical machines, and five bikes in the cardio area. The weight room had four squat bars and 10 other pieces of weightlifting equipment.

Guilford bought two new treadmills, three elliptical machines, and upwards of 20 weight machines. The space is friendlier to all members of the community.

Merkel said that he has seen 70 students working out in the new facility during peak hours, which was nearly impossible in the old space.

“I don’t ever remember (seeing that many people) unless you had the entire football team in there which is 70 to 80 people,” Merkel said. “If you had 30 to 40 people (in there) that really was a lot of people.”

Some students still believe that there is a majority of athletes in the weight room even with the increase in non-athletes.

“I mean, of course more athletes are going to use it, they have lifting requirements and whatever,” senior Pat Whitty said.

Even with the questions as to who uses the facilities more, the bright colors and open space give an inviting atmosphere for students to come together and work out.

“As an athlete, I like that it’s not overly crowded,” first-year Andre Arguimbau said. “I also like that it’s not just for athletes in the sense that it’s a communal space. I see people I know there and it’s not an overly intense workout environment.”

One addition that has received positive feedback from students is the new turf area. This area has jump boxes, medicine balls, and cattle bells. It also adds a separate area for stretching and free-weight workouts.

“With the turf down there it’s just been a whole different experience,” Merkel said. “There’s more things to use. I mean, you’ll go down there around 4:30 and you might see six or seven people down there – some are stretching, some are just sitting down talking so I think it (has) really worked out well.”

With the new fitness center location, more areas in Ragan-Brown Field House have opened for new activities, such as a racquetball court and an exercise studio. There is also more freedom for classes.

Another advantage is that one-credit physical education classes that are taken by traditional, early college and CCE students alike, such as weightlifting, conditioning, softball, Tai Chi and yoga, are given more room.

Each week there are activities for everyone. There are indoor soccer games four days a week, pick-up basketball games and open volleyball courts. The fitness center is now only one of the many ways that students can utilize the field house and get in shape.