A much larger gym with new equipment and more possibilities: ‘The novelty gives extra motivation’

Although the new sports building has been open for almost a month, people who used the fitness area still had to do so in the old building until Thursday. Around two o’clock in the afternoon, the place is full of students trying out the gym’s new features.

Fitness manager Martin Giljamse is incredibly happy with the new gym. “We chose a spacious design with various different zones. There are extra areas where you can do your own thing on the upper floor and the cardio machines have a screen which add interactive elements to your workout.” For example, you can use the screens to pretend that you are walking in the mountains, and you can even sync them up with your own running apps.

The gym is not quite finished yet – the walls are still empty, but these will soon feature images and motivational texts to give people an extra boost while they are exercising. Giljamse was certainly happy with the opening, which was attended by plenty of students. In each zone, the new equipment was already being used. “It’s two o’clock in the afternoon and there are already so many students exercising, I think that’s wonderful”, says Giljamse proudly.

IBA student John Albin Bergström is one of these fanatical athletes. He is working out on a new fitness machine called the ‘assault bike’, which is a cardio machine for improving your endurance. He likes the fact that the new gym has new equipment. “The novelty gives extra motivation to work out”, he says.

IBA students Emily Pearn and Elia Thevenin are also delighted with the new equipment. These two sports buddies are using the new hip thrust machine to train their glutes. “In the old gym we had to set up this exercise ourselves, and that took a long time. This new machine is much more practical, so we’ll be much more likely to use it”, says Emily.

For anyone who aims to go to the gym six times a week, having a gym on campus is ideal. Criminology student Romy Stromps is one of these people. The first-year student has just moved to Rotterdam and had to look for a new gym. “I didn’t like Basic-Fit, so I’m trying out the gym on the campus”, she says. “Exercising on campus is practical because if you take your sports gear with you, you will actually force yourself to exercise after your tutorial or lecture. I really like that.”