The Best Fitness Platform to Train Anywhere!

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, February 17, 2026

In Plain View by Lachlan Labere

“Intrigue” isn’t a word I associate with going to a gym, let alone the one I’ve been using on and off since before my kid was born.

But intrigue was a driving factor for me on Friday, Feb. 13, when my now 16-year-old son and I took advantage of an opportunity kindly offered by Shuswap Recreation Society (SRS) general manager Darin Gerow to get in some excercise in the recently renovated and reopened SASCU Recreation Centre gym.

That same curious excitement brought me back again the following day, to continue learning how the various machines work and would support the routines I had before the reno. Thankfully, this transition was a consideration for Kamloops’ Red Tag Fitness Equipment, the company chosen by the SRS and Salmon Arm Recreation to fit out the gym with flooring and all new equipment.

“They knew what was existing and what people were used to,” said Salmon Arm Recreation aquatics and programming manager Jason Freund. “We wanted to make sure we didn’t lose any of those exercises…”

Salmon Arm Recreation looked to Red Tag for recommendations to fit that bill while providing – as the new signs on the gym windows read – a brand new fitness experience.

“Cardio equipment was really important, making a decision there,” said Freund, pointing to one of the new additions. “Adding the climbing mill (or stair climber) was something that people really wanted.”

Another bit of expertise offered pertained to elliptical machines. Prior to the renovation there was two – including one I think my wife and I used, before and after becoming parents, while watching programs on the equally dated Toshiba TV.

Now there is one elliptical machine (a new TV is also coming).

“Apparently to the experts, elliptical is declining in popularity right now so ‘don’t get two of those, just get one’,” said Freund.

There are, however, plenty of other options to get your heart rate up.

For electric machines, in addition to the stair climber and elliptical trainer, the gym has two treadmills and two bikes, one upright and one a recumbent. All these machines are of the same brand and share what is essentially the same user interface, meaning you learn how to use one and you know how to use them all.

At one end of the gym there are hex dumbbells and weighted balls, a squat/power rack for barbell workouts along with plates of up to 45 lbs. and a curl bar. At the other end, by the entrance, is a universal trainer for full-body strength training.

Also available are various exercise machines for targeted workouts, including a hip adductor/abductor station, a chest/incline/shoulder press station, a lat pulldown/seated rower, a leg curl/extension station and a leg press station. An arm curl machine is on order and will be added soon.

Other smaller details, such as mirrors, mat hangers and a clock, will also be installed.

Though I found most of the machines fairly straight forward to get started on, I expect it will take some time and learning before I’m able to get the most out of each. Salmon Arm Recreation has thought of this though, and is taking steps to help. One step will be adding QR codes to the machines that you can scan for video instruction. Another is the hiring of a fitness trainer who Freund said can be booked for “everything from orientation packages to personal training sessions in here for individuals.”

Orientation sessions will also be the foot in the door for youth ages 13-15, who previously weren’t allowed to use the gym.

“They’ll just have to take an orientation, a three-session orientation with the personal trainer, and then they’ll be able to come in and use the gym,” said Freund, adding those younger gym users will have to be accompanied by an adult.

As is his usual routine, my son, who has been going to the rec centre gym with me for some time now, spent most of his time on the dumbbells. At times a man of few words, he said the renovated gym is “better than it was.”

On the Saturday I saw another familiar face at the gym, Mike Ponty who, as my son, tends to focus on strength training at the dumbbell station.

“When they said they were going to get all new equipment in I was thinking there was nothing wrong with the old equipment,” said Ponty. “But when I came in here yesterday, I took a look at the amount of space that’s involved and the type of equipment, I was pretty impressed…

“They’ve come a long way with updating the equipment and I think the people I talked to yesterday, everybody is pretty happy, pretty impressed.”

I wound up enjoying my Saturday gym visit more than Friday’s, and am intrigued by how much more enjoyable visits will be as I become more familiar with everything there.

Currently, you pay the same drop-in or punch-pass rates to use the rec centre gym and swimming pool. Costs for the orientation sessions and personal training will be in the Salmon Arm Recreation Spring Fun Guide coming out March 2.

For more information, visit salmonarmrecreation.ca and the Salmon Arm Recreation page on Facebook.

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