Pro Gym Supply staff setting up new equipment at FitRec earlier this week.

Campus & Facilities

FitRec Gets a Glow-Up

Stop by today’s open house to learn about new offerings, try a free class, and pick up some FitRec swag

While you were gone, FitRec got a glow-up.

Free for full-time students, the fitness center, in West Campus next to Agganis Arena, is boasting lots of improvements this fall. Much of the gym’s cardio and strength equipment is being replaced, there are new FitTreks outdoor programs, swimming lessons are returning, and there is a back-to-school membership sale for faculty and staff running through September 16, which offers a 20 percent savings off the monthly rate.

Learn about these programs and more at FitRec Fun Day on Wednesday, September 14, from 4 to 7 pm. The free open house is a chance to meet the staff, learn about the center’s offerings, try out a free group exercise or yoga class, and pick up some FitRec swag.

Kate Durant, FitRec assistant director of programs, says the facility has something for everyone, from gym rats to those wanting to pick up a new hobby. Try a salsa or a tennis class, swim laps, join an intramural soccer or basketball team, or work out on the hundreds of pieces of new equipment purchased this summer that are either installed or soon will be.

“This fall is particularly exciting because we’re transitioning all of our fitness equipment and adding pieces members specifically expressed interest in,” Durant says. “About 90 percent of our gym is brand-new, and the floor layout is completely changed, so we can disperse the crowds.”

This past spring, FitRec purchased close to 200 new pieces of big equipment, including squat racks, deadlift platforms, lat pulldown and cable row machines, treadmills, and a FreeMotion incline trainer, both to replace and to add to what was already there. In addition to the new dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells, the number is closer to 1,000 pieces. Durant notes that the gym has seen increased interest in strength training and free weights.

Fitness equipment has about a 5-to-10-year shelf life, she says, and the equipment was originally scheduled to be replaced in February 2020—but then COVID-19 upended everything. “Many of the Boston schools are in this same situation,” she says.

To come up with a list of what to purchase, FitRec workers scoped out the area and recorded the types of equipment most frequently in use. They also asked their Instagram followers back in April what kind of machines they’d like to see and received more than 200 responses.

“We used to have lines of up to 25 people waiting for squat racks, so we would actually go into the line and say, What are you waiting for? A bench? The deadlift platform? And then we strategically purchased based on that,” Durant says, “so we can hopefully make a dent and the lines won’t be as long.” 

And this new equipment couldn’t come at a better time. Since the start of classes on September 6, FitRec has seen an 8 percent increase in visitors, compared to the same period in fall 2019. The first day of this semester was the facility’s busiest day ever (5,890 swipe-ins), according to Sarah Robinson, FitRec manager of marketing and communications.

For those who want to try something different, FitRec has a few more options:

• Want access to 20 weekly classes, from spin to rock climbing to yoga? Check out FitPass. Classes are $12 for drop-ins; the Unlimited FitRec FitPass is $100 for full-time BU students and FitRec monthly members, and $125 for nonmembers (FitPass is included with six-month and annual memberships). Community members can try all FitPass classes for free from September 14 to 18. You must reserve a spot in advance for any class you wish to attend—even for the free week.

• FitTreks (field trips of sorts) are open to students, faculty, and staff, with transportation included in the price. The series includes hiking and camping in Vermont, rock climbing, skiing, bike tours, and apple picking, and trips also offer gear rentals. Browse through upcoming trips and register here.

• FitRec’s outdoor program rents kayaks ($18), stand-up paddleboards ($12), and sailboats ($24) at the BU Sailing Pavilion. They also offer Learn to Sail classes during the season (usually April-October) and sunset kayak tours (Friday evenings). Find more information here.

• FitRec’s swim classes for children (Swim School) start October 1. Registration links will be available soon, and you can find more info here.