“It’s great to see so many people being active and enjoying the facilities.”
– Steven Mohar, director of the Klotsche Center

Students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are getting into better shape since the new addition to the Klotsche Center opened on Jan. 3. The Pavilion includes a brand new and updated fitness center, gymnasium and track.

“(The new fitness center) makes me a lot more motivated to come here and work out,” said sophomore Lea Savino.

Savino, who has worked out daily since the Pavilion opened, said that her workouts were limited in the past because there were not enough cardio machines available. Now, atop a 2,000-square foot balcony, there are 42 machines, and they are filling up fast.

Downstairs, students are enjoying the new, fully equipped weight room, and are able to look out the large two-story window that faces Downer Avenue.

Before, Savino would skip her lifting routine because she thought that the weight room was “too dark and gross.” Now, with the new space, she takes time to include weights into her workout.

“The window is huge. It really makes it bright and cheerful in here,” she said.

Senior Michael Clausen lifted weights every day in the old weight room and is impressed with the larger space and better equipment.

“It’s like 500 percent bigger — a significant improvement from the old one that was small and cramped,” he said.

The innovative facility will likely improve the overall health of the students at UWM, said Health Educator Colleen Bernstein at Norris Health Center.

“It used to be that students would come individually to the Klotsche. Now I see groups of five or more,” she said.

The American Heart Association recommends that people should work out at least 45 minutes a day, five days a week, but students may have difficulty exercising that often.

“College students are a unique population in that they have so many demands placed on them,” Bernstein said. “Exercise can be one of the last things they feel they have the time for, but it is very important for them to carve out that time for themselves.”

“It usually takes about three weeks for a habit to develop, so once they put that time in their planner and commit to it, they can do it. With the new facility, they can even go with a friend or two,” Bernstein said.

Steven Mohar, director of the Klotsche Center, said students are using the facility more now than in the past.

“It’s great to see so many people being active and enjoying the facilities,” he said.

While there is still some work to be completed throughout the facility, the majority of the Klotsche Center and Pavilion are completed and operational. In addition to the fitness center, gymnasium and track, the Pavilion includes a new, underground parking garage, complete with 600 spaces.

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