The Palonis and Patricks were key donors for the new Rec Center Fitness Room that opened earlier in October, and the studio has been names the Palony Wellness Studio in their honor.   

The studio replaced two of the four original squash courts, and is furnished with timber floors and large mirrors covering the front and back walls.  The room is equipped with brand new equipment, including TRX bands, balance boards, weights, medicine balls, and yoga mats.

It took about two months of construction before the studio was ready to be unveiled, according to Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Information Craig Lane.

“One of the reasons for the fitness center was having designated space for the group fitness classes instead of rec court 3, where there wasn’t privacy and other activities were going on in the rec center at the same time,” Lane said.

Another reason for the construction was so that Le Moyne could hold specialty classes such as Yoga, Barre, and TRX, said Lane. Since opening the studio the classes have seen an increase in participation.

The official opening ceremony of the Palony Wellness Studio was held on Thursday Nov. 17, right before Thanksgiving break. Around 40 members of the Le Moyne community attended to commemorate the new studio with lunch, free t-shirts, and a TRX class demonstration.

Student athletes are now able to book the room through contacting the Recreation, Fitness & Wellness Coordinator David Willard.

Sophomore and member of the Le Moyne Women’s Tennis team, Amica Benoit-Limosani loves the new addition to the rec center and the tennis team has book the studio for their “Speed and Agility” workouts once a week.

“It’s much more modern, and there’s a bunch of equipment we can use as a team that we wouldn’t usually have access to,” said Benoit-Limosani. “You can do stuff you wouldn’t necessarily do in a gym, like more body weight and isometric sort of exercises.”  

Since Oct. 12 a full slate of fitness classes have begun, featuring workouts in Body Sculpt, Boot camp, Cycle & Strength, Spinning, and Zumba. With the addition of the new studio, classes in Kickboxing, TRX, Barre, and Yoga are now also possible.

Le Moyne students, faculty, and staff can participate in classes for free. Individuals with year or semester-long memberships to the recreation center can participate in classes for $5 per class, if space is available.

A schedule of fitness classes can be found at LeMoyneDolphins.com. Individuals must register for classes online the day before a class is held.