New year, new fitness center Published Feb. 10, 2009 By Master Sgt. Craig Reynolds 178th Services Flight SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- After celebrating a successful operational readiness inspection and enjoying the holiday season with family and friends, we moved forward into 2009. With a new year, there are hopes of change. Health and fitness are typically resolutions many people make. To help achieve these new goals, some Americans invest in fitness memberships. But, if you are a member of the Ohio Air National Guard in Springfield, Ohio, you have the option to forgo the gym membership and take advantage of the new fitness facility located in building 142. The fitness center was designed and created for members by utilizing the old SIMS building located between LRS and Avionics. More than $50,000 was allocated for fitness equipment upgrades. Outfitted with new paint and carpet, the center is furnished with treadmills, incline trainers, and recumbent bicycles all with MP3 player plug-and-play capability. Additional new equipment includes a cable crossover machine, a lateral pull down machine, a dip/chin assist machine and many other pieces of state-of-the-art fitness equipment which will aide in those New Year's resolutions and keep members "fit to fight". The facility has three cardio rooms and one large weight room. There are also restrooms for both men and women complete with fully-functional showers. The fitness center is open 24 hours a day to accommodate all shifts and mission requirements. The center will soon be equipped with plasma televisions and cable in all rooms. Currently, there are two stereo systems placed in the center: one in the main cardio room and one in the weight room. On top of these new and updated amenities, there will be a sports drink and beverage machine placed inside the fitness center to provide alternative refreshments for the members. Overall, the new fitness center offers Springfield Airmen the opportunity to turn those resolutions into realities and have another successful year achieving our collective goal of being "fit to fight."