LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Move over juice bar, a family fitness room is the coolest new thing to hit the Medina Fitness Center.
Correlating with a recent spike in base housing, Medina Fitness Center manager Jason Sparks said the need for family fitness oriented programs has been on the rise.
Outweighing the benefits of a juice bar, a family fitness room better fits his customers.
"With base housing right here on Medina, we saw a big demand,' Sparks said. "Base housing has grown. When we got rid of the juice bar, customers were asking for (the family room)."
Working in coordination with base civil engineers, Sparks said the fitness staff set up the room at virtually no additional cost, stocking the empty room with available, unused exercise equipment and donated toys.
Sparks said the addition of the second family fitness room on the Lackland Training Annex was a response and reflection of the success of the original one housed by the Warhawk Fitness Center.
"That was one of the biggest reasons for the room, just the demand at the Warhawk," Sparks said about the new location. "It also gives people another option."
Roll on the paint, lay out that carpet, and cap those electrical outlets: the room was made child proof and fitness ready.
Now, for the parents, who Sparks said often just stroll to the fitness center with their kids due to its close proximity to the housing community.
"So far, it's been a big hit," he added. "A lot of smiling faces."
At Medina, they brought in a different array of toys and fitness equipment to keep the experience fresh and add variety.
Included in the room's equipment is elliptical and cardio machines, two weight benches with dumbbells, a balance exercise ball and a mounted flatscreen above the workout area.
The designated play area is sectioned off from the workout equipment and outfitted with its own flatscreen, tables and chairs, toy blocks, and an educational toy computer, among other playthings.
"We wanted to offer a change of pace and scenery," Sparks said.
The new family fitness room opened last month, with hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends and holidays.
A cable crossover system, with an interactive virtual trainer screen, is also planned for the room.
The inclusion of a family fitness room in fitness centers is part of a larger movement on base and around the Air Force to promote healthy living within the service. Last year was the "Year of the Air Force Family," outlining an initiative to foster a greater sense of community and quality of life.
Sparks said the addition of a family room is one way to target the fitness component of a healthy life, while other family-oriented programs are planned for the future.
"Fitness is a learned behavior," Sparks said. "When you bring your kids to workout and to the gym early ... it sticks with people like anything else."
For more information on the family fitness room and other family-oriented fitness programs, call the Medina at 671-4477/4525.