There are no windows.
There’s an exercise machine right in front of a door with a dropoff of at least two feet.
Most of the weights and barbells are noticeably rusty, probably older than World War II.
The weight room has no mirrors to help with form.
The squat racks are hard to maneuver, and most of the equipment takes much more space than it needs to.
That’s the current RHS weight room.
“It’s all we have, and I don’t have access to a gym,” Gregory Reed said.
Fortunately, Rhinebeck is about to see an updated weight room.
Carolyn Peck, Chairperson of the Health and Wellness Committee, and Katie Anderson, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, are in charge of the renovations, which are funded by a grant from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) for mental health and wellness for students and staff.
Most students agreed and said that the weight room needs to be renovated. Physical fitness is vital for schools. Studies on mentally challenged and neurodivergent students showed that exercise improved attention spans, decreased lethargy and anxiety, and even improved decision making.
The Health and Wellness Committee put a lot of time into the planning of the remodeled weight room. They have 3D models to maximize the space and the amount of machines they can put in the weight room. Both Anderson and Peck took input from the physical education teachers and coaches including Nicole Reuter, David Jutton, and Justin Randall.
“The weight room will be renovated for the community of RHS,” Carolyn Peck.
According to Peck, the weight room will be more accessible, there will be staff in the weight room, and you will be able to use it during a free period such as a study hall or lunch.
The equipment and the machines should be in the school by the end of the school year to early summer, and the weight room will be completely renovated by the start of the school year.
“Everything will be new except the dumbbells and a few plates,” said Peck.
The renovated weight room will benefit the students and staff of RHS improving both mental health as well as their physical health.
