Campus Rec debuts E-Gym equipment for personalized workouts

By Dolapo Eniayewun, Contributing Writer

Towson University unveiled new electronic gym equipment at Campus Recreation at the beginning of the spring semester. The new E-Gym personalizes workouts and tracks a person’s fitness progress.

Campus Rec, also known as Burdick Hall, underwent renovation near the end of the fall semester to add health offices to the first floor. Now, just to the side of the still under-construction space, students were welcomed back to campus last week with a new surprise, an E-Gym.

The E-Gym is a machine that collects user’s data, such as their height and weight, to help create a workout goal for each person based on that data.  

Users are added to the system through an onboarding process in which they are given a wristband to scan and create an account for the first visit. Users can then scan their bands for future visits to use the machines.

During the onboarding, users can get their weights and heights recorded to the system to allow the machine to determine what program fits each person.

Senior Yariliz Espinosa was one of the people who got onboarded at the event. Espinosa comments on whether she thinks the E-Gym was a necessary addition.

“For the people that don’t know what they’re doing, I think it’d be really helpful for them,” Espinosa said.

Everyone is required to take a strength test to determine what level they would start using the machines on and what their workout goal would be. If a person doesn’t frequently work out, they would most likely start at the “basic training” level. 

The user’s height, weight and strength data are updated after each level is completed to match them to more challenging workouts if they’re ready to move up. It is different from a regular machine because the user is challenged more, and the machine automatically sets itself up for the workout. 

Burdick’s Associate Director of Programs & Assessment Katie White said the goal for adding the E-Gym is to encourage students and staff to visit Campus Rec more, and help people who may not be all that familiar with working out learn their strengths and limits.

“You don’t have to be fit to come to Campus Rec,” White said.

There are still lots of regular workout machines at Campus Rec. Although junior Kayla Lasson is an active gym goer, she says she’s never used this type of equipment before.

“I think it’s cool that it kinda seems like a benefit for safety, I can see how it can prevent injuries if it’s calculated to our weight, height and strength and everything,” Lasson said.