FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Summers in the Southeast, with its soaring temperatures and infamous humidity, can often be stifling, making working out outdoors extremely uncomfortable if not downright dangerous.
That's why Fort Rucker offers multiple ways for people to get their workouts in without battling the heat.
The installation offers two fitness centers, including the post's main gym, Fort Rucker Physical Fitness Center, located on Andrews Avenue; and Fortenberry-Colton Physical Fitness Center, located on Skychief Street -- both facilities offer a plethora of amenities from weight lifting equipment and treadmills to workout classes and more.
The main gym is a 64,000 square-foot facility that features treadmills, free weights, functional fitness equipment, a 25-meter indoor pool, multi-purpose court and three racquetball courts. And for milder days when the temperatures aren't soaring, the facility also boasts an outdoor multi-purpose field, a quarter-mile track and an 18-hole disc golf course that runs the length of the Beaver Lake trail.
Fortenberry-Colton PFC is the post's smaller fitness center, but it doesn't slouch when it comes to fitness amenities. The facility has Nautilus selectorized strength equipment, free weights, a regulation-size basketball court, spin bikes, fitness rooms with full mirrors, and a 28-foot climbing wall with four auto-belay systems and four manual belays.
The fitness centers are open Mondays-Fridays from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Fort Rucker PFC is also open on federal holidays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The facilities are about more than just fitness equipment, though, with classes and programs to fit people's fitness needs, such as spinning, Strong Bodies, ABsoGlutely, yoga, Pure Strength, Hardcore, T.A.C. and Intro to Weights and Plates.
The cost for classes is $3.50 per class, $15 for two weeks of unlimited classes, or $30 for one month of unlimited classes. People can sign up for any individual class on the day of the class after 5:30 a.m., and attendees must check in 10 minutes prior to classes.
For a full list of classes and times, visit https://rucker.armymwr.com/programs/fitness-centers.
The majority of the fitness classes take place at the Fortenberry-Colton PFC, and range from classes to help tighten and tone muscles or get an introduction into weight lifting, or programs to help motivate people, such as the Fort Rucker Lifting Club.
The lifting club is a program that rewards participants as they train toward goals they set, according to Zea Urbiztondo, fitness program specialist, who designed the club to get people excited about weightlifting.
"Ever since the functional fitness area opened [last year], the amount of people who have included both power lifting and Olympic weightlifting into their workout program has drastically increased," she said. "It is always rewarding to see someone hit a personal record while lifting, so I wanted to establish a program to continue that excitement.
"By participating in the Lifting Club, you can surround yourself with like-minded people who are all striving for a certain strength goal," said the fitness program specialist. "The fitness community is about building each other up, and supporting each other toward their fitness and health goals. You can learn something new, and surprise yourself with strength and abilities you might have never known you could achieve."
When the workouts have proven to be a bit too much, the fitness centers also feature the Body Mechanics Spa, which offers relaxation at a reasonable price, according to Barbara Leger, licensed massage therapist with Body Mechanics.
"Everyone can and should be treated to a special occasion and be pampered, and Body Mechanics has extremely competitive prices and a service available for every income level," she said. "The benefits of massage go hand-in-hand with fitness, and historically has been used to help circulation, muscle soreness and tenderness, and chronic pain to include fibromyalgia and arthritis."
The spa is open for appointments Mondays-Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and anyone who is an authorized patron of Directorate of Family Morale Welfare and Recreation services is allowed to make an appointment with Body Mechanics.
There are several different styles of massage people can choose from, including pregnancy, Swedish, deep tissue, neuromuscular and hot stone, and the spa offers several different services, which include a 30-minute massage for $25, a 60-minute massage for $45, a 90-minute massage for $70, a retreat for the feet for $30, and chair massages that are $1 per minute.
For more information, call 255-2296 or 255-3794 or visit https://rucker.armymwr.com/programs/fitness-centers.
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