Gregory Health and Wellness
Receives Donation of Fitness Equipment

The Gregory Health and Wellness Center at USC Lancaster recently received a generous donation of fitness equipment from the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center at USC.  With the donation of these virtually new strength and cardio machines, The Khoury Fitness Room now houses ten treadmills, ten ellipticals, three recumbent steppers, six stationary bikes, twenty selectorized strength machines, and an 8-way multi-use cable station. The Khoury Fitness Room update also includes an upgraded 12-unit wireless cardio theater.  All free weights have been upgraded as well.  Kent Deese, Certified Fitness Program Coordinator, stated, “We are beyond excited with the  acquisition of this state-of-the-art equipment that will further enhance our ability to meet the needs of our members now and well into the future. The feedback we have received from the community about the improvements has been outstanding.”

In addition to the aforementioned equipment, twenty-five Schwinn spinner bikes were included in the donation. These spinning bikes will allow the Center to be the only facility in the county to offer indoor cycling (spinning) beginning January 2013.  Spinning classes will add another group exercise program to the offerings of the Center which now include Zumba, Latin-inspired dance fitness classes, and Crunch Time, abdominal/core classes. These classes do require an added fee, but are open to members and non-members and are conducted by certified instructors.

According to the 2009 South Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, almost 66% of South Carolina residents are either overweight or obese, and 30% of Lancaster County adult residents are considered obese (BMI>30) making it more important than ever to promote physical activity (http://www.scdhec.gov/hs/epidata/brfss2009.htm). Deese stated, “It is the hope of the staff at the Gregory Center that the addition of the upgraded equipment and classes will entice more citizens to begin or restart an exercise program. We are very thankful for our partnership with USC and for the top-notch equipment they have provided.”

The Gregory Center is open seven days a week and members can take advantage of individual exercise prescription plans offered under the supervision of a certified fitness instructor at no extra charge. For more information about membership, please contact the Gregory Health and Wellness Center at 313-7102.