Faculty and staff members鈥痟ave a newly renovated space on campus dedicated to their health and wellness.
The Wellness鈥疪esearch鈥疌enter,鈥痑lso known as the employee gym,鈥痠s鈥痩ocated in鈥痶he Education Complex鈥痑nd鈥痟as undergone major renovations鈥痑nd鈥痚quipment enhancements鈥痮ver the past year. The facility will鈥痳eopen Aug. 23鈥痺ith the start of the鈥痜all鈥�2021鈥痵emester.
The facility is free to all faculty and staff at UCF聽and will be open during the following times Monday through Friday:
- 6听鈥撀�9鈥痑.尘.
- 11 a.m.聽鈥撀�1 p.m.
- 4聽鈥撀�7:30 p.m.鈥�(Fridays the gym will close at 6 p.m.)
More hours聽will be聽added if聽there is demand.
Adam Wells聽鈥�12MS 鈥�15PhD, an聽associate聽professor鈥痠n the Division of Kinesiology,鈥痬anages鈥痶he gym and鈥痷sed聽the鈥痯andemic shutdown as an鈥痮pportunity to continue鈥痳enovations to鈥痶he space.
鈥淥ne of the big goals we wanted to accomplish was making the gym a more welcoming place to鈥痺ork out鈥痠n,鈥� Wells says.鈥�淲e maintain a safe鈥痑nd clean鈥痚nvironment. Our hours are鈥痗onducive鈥痶o鈥痜aculty鈥痑nd staff鈥痬embers鈥欌�痵chedules;鈥痯eople can even come in and workout鈥痙uring their lunch鈥痓reak.鈥�
The first 50 faculty or staff to鈥痵ign up鈥痜or a free membership after the fall 2021 reopening will receive a WRC branded Blender Bottle, towel,鈥痓ag鈥痑nd ID lanyard.
Improvements in the gym include new鈥痗ardio鈥痓ikes,鈥痶wo Olympic鈥痳acks鈥痺ith鈥痯latforms, new鈥痙umbbells鈥痳anging from 5 pounds to 100 pounds,鈥痺eight plates, trap bars and a belt squat platform.
The gym also features the addition of a clean air system that will keep the facility cool, while also using integrated鈥痶echnology to help remove pathogens from the air.鈥� Another new feature coming in the spring of 2022 is the availability of workout videos on the WRC website, led by kinesiology students.
The showers鈥痑nd locker rooms were also renovated the year before.
Wells, who worked in the WRC during his time as a graduate student at UCF,鈥痠s committed to鈥痬aking the gym more user-friendly鈥痶hrough services and programs run by鈥痶he . In the future, Wells hopes to offer services鈥痵uch as鈥痓ody composition鈥痑nalysis鈥痑nd鈥痜itness assessments,鈥痑s well as other services鈥痶o help employees understand their fitness level.
The WRC鈥痮ffers鈥痮pportunities鈥痶o participate in鈥痳esearch鈥痺ithin鈥痶he Division of Kinesiology, where faculty and students explore鈥痶he efficacy of鈥痙ifferent exercise modalities.
鈥淭here has always been鈥痑 research component to the facility,鈥� Wells聽says. 鈥淚t doubles as a鈥痩ab for exercise physiology interventions鈥痺hen needed for鈥痳esearch.鈥疉nd鈥痠t serves as a鈥痯racticum site for our鈥痷ndergraduate kinesiology students.鈥�
Jeffrey Stout,鈥疨egasus Professor and聽director鈥痮f the聽School of聽Kinesiology聽and Physical Therapy, says that鈥痶he lab will be an asset鈥痜or researchers, as well as鈥痚mployees鈥痵triving to improve their health and wellness.
鈥淓xercise is medicine,鈥� says Stout. 鈥淲e want people to take charge of their health.鈥疕aving the Wellness Research Center available on campus for faculty and staff to鈥痺ork聽out, and a dedicated space where health and wellness research can take place, is鈥痑n asset to鈥痚veryone in the鈥疷CF community鈥痺ho wants to improve their overall well-being.鈥�
For more information about the UCF Wellness Research Center, visit鈥�.
As an extra perk, the first 50 faculty or staff to鈥痵ign up鈥痜or a free membership after the fall 2021 reopening will receive a WRC branded Blender Bottle, towel,鈥痓ag鈥痑nd ID lanyard.
