FORT KNOX, -- Kentucky Otto Fitness Center reopened Oct. 24 after being closed for nearly a month for minor renovations to transition the gym to also house a functional fitness workout space.
"We needed a space [specifically for] functional fitness, and that requires room to conduct a full body workout. It's not just one aspect of your body," Austin Howell, sports and fitness director with Fort Knox Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation. "It's exercising muscles you'd use in everyday life and muscles Soldiers would use in combat. It's designed to help reduce injuries to the muscles we use every day. It's what Soldiers are asking for and needing."
While Otto now has a functional fitness setup, Howell added that the gym still offers much of what has always been offered at the fitness center to meet a wide range of customers' fitness needs.
"Functional fitness is a total body exercise. It is not just using working specific body parts," Howell said. "That is what the new Army Combat Fitness Test is [grading] - overall Soldier fitness in all areas, but much of the previous equipment can still be used in this workout system [and will stay at Otto]."
With a little heavy lifting, Dent said that Otto was revamped to provide useable space to accommodate the new workout equipment.
"[U.S. Army Installation Management Command] G9 identified this need and put together this workout package and offered them to all the installations. We took this package which fit into our footprint at Otto," said Christopher Dent, Fort Knox DFMWR community program director. "Otto is now Fort Knox's functional fitness facility. They'll be able to work out in a way they've not been able to until now."
Dent said that with more space available and the emphasis on each person managing their own body weight, Soldiers won't need to constantly alter iron weights according to each persons' body type or ability to lift weight.
"This is more of an 'esprit de corps' type workout where groups of guys can work out together, and challenge each other to work harder without having to adjust for each exercise for each person," Dent said. "It's a workout, but it could also teambuilding in that aspect. It's more relational."
Dent said that the Army has done a better job concerning functional fitness and meeting Soldier requests than they have at times in the past.
"We're pretty excited. For the first time I think we're coming into a trend before it's faded out. [Too many times] we're just bringing something into the gate as it's dying outside the gate," Dent said.
Because it is dealing with everyday activities, and can cater to larger groups and the Army is adopting the concept of functional fitness, Howell said he thinks the program is more of a lifestyle than a fad.
"Functional fitness is here to stay and it supports the direction the Army is moving right now," Howell said. "It's just so adaptable. It incorporates a little of everything, but doesn't concentrate on any one thing. It's a holistic workout that could benefit anyone, and it meets the Army's needs."
The changes at Otto will have little effect on the other fitness centers on post, but Dent said that they are always looking to improve facilities that Soldiers use.
"The only significant impact the other gyms will see because of the changes at Otto is that some of the good equipment at Otto will go into some of the other gyms," Dent said. "The best of the stuff that we pulled out of Otto will replace some of the older stuff at the other facilities."
The changes are in response to what Soldiers have asked for and what the Army has deemed necessary to complete the mission.
"As the Army adapts, we have to do the same thing; we adapt to our Soldiers and their mission," Howell said, adding, "Our mission hasn't changed - we always want to provide innovative and relevant programs and services to the total military family and this is one way we're able to do that.
"We've heard what the patrons have asked for. We've taken the time to put out a good product."
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