HAMILTON – New upgrades to Colgate University's Trudy Fitness Center are now complete in time for the spring semester, providing a safer, more diverse workout experience for students and community members. 

Facility upgrades began in the spring of 2022 and concluded in January 2023. Projects included a new turf flooring area, an Escape Fitness octagon frame with new technology and equipment that creates an interactive experience, power lift platforms, peloton bikes, expresso bikes, recumbent bikes, upright bikes, and additional converging chest and rotary torso machines. 

In addition to a safer, more diverse workout experience, these updates, the first since 2011, also modernize the facility's look and feel. 

The new turf provides an improved shock-absorbing flooring option that is proven to reduce pressure on the joints, which is critical for the health and safety of those practicing high-impact exercises. 

"It's great to see the campus and community so excited about the improvements," said Senior Director of Recreation and Chair of Physical Education Julian Springer. "University leadership, along with the athletics department, have been instrumental in supporting our staff commitment to reimagining recreation programs and facilities on our campus. Trudy Fitness Center is not only a place to achieve health goals, but it also provides an opportunity to engage with like-minded individuals while finding your favorite area for fitness and fun."

Trudy Fitness Center is an important resource for students, faculty, and staff, as well as the greater Hamilton community. These changes represent the largest updates made to the facility since its opening in 2011. 

"Our physical education and recreation staff spent a significant amount of time eliciting user feedback and studying industry trends in developing an upgrade plan for Trudy that rethinks how the space functions and is much more than simply replacing older equipment," said Interim Vice President and Director of Athletics Yariv Amir. "We hope that all Trudy users will enjoy rediscovering this space and that the updates contribute to a positive user experience."

About the Trudy Fitness Center
The Trudy Fitness Center is an exercise and wellness hub available to members of the Colgate campus and the greater Hamilton community. It is a 15,000-square-foot facility with gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and receives an average of 3,000 users per week. The Trudy Fitness Center, made possible through the generosity of Colgate alumni and parents, is connected to Huntington Gymnasium and is clad in blue stone, thereby maintaining the integrity of the campus' architectural standards.