New Look for Bakar Fitness Center

The UC San Francisco Fitness & Recreation staff did some heavy lifting over the holidays at the Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center at Mission Bay to wow current members and to prepare for their no enrollment fee membership sale in January.

Seventy old strength and cardio machines were moved out of the fitness center in late December. They were replaced with state-of-the-art machines with enhanced entertainment features that include high-definition television and Bluetooth connections that allow users to log in to their Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and Facebook accounts. The machines are also quieter and have a smaller footprint, allowing for an improved layout which gives the gym a more spacious feel.

“The new equipment provides a lot of options to keep members engaged as they work out,” said Liane Wong, sales and marketing manager for the fitness centers.

Wong said other areas of the fitness center were also recently upgraded. “Continual improvement to the member experience is important to us. In the last two months, we got 40 new spinning bikes, installed a new high grade non-slip floor on the indoor pool deck and in the men’s and women’s showers, and refinished the floor in our NBA basketball court - complete with the UCSF logo. Many of our members work out several times a week to improve their health and de-stress. We take the responsibility to provide a great facility and programs very seriously.”

January is a busy time for the fitness centers, Wong said. “We serve about 2,000 members per day between our Mission Bay and Parnassus locations. Not only do we have new members joining, but our current members are motivated to recommit to exercise in the new year.”

While the work is complete at Mission Bay, planning is underway for similar equipment upgrades at Parnassus by spring.