Added as an alternate to a multimillion dollar renovation project, the new Lehighton Area High School fitness center is anything but an afterthought.

The 3,700-square-foot center and a wrestling room of equal size above it, cost $577,985 and are a drastic improvement in space compared to their previous location, district officials said.Home to the high school’s physical education classes, the fitness center is also open to students and staff until around 4 p.m. after school or longer if supervision is available.“It’s twice the size of what we used to have,” physical education teacher Joe Ellis said of the center. “That means double the equipment and the kids aren’t waiting to use something. It’s clean and has bright windows and it invites students to want to come and work out.”In a day and age when physical activity is stressed, students who may not have been excited about gym class before are now eager to flex their muscles.Ellis calls that “buying in.”“When you get the kids to buy in, then they start setting goals and they start coming in after school on their own to work out,” he said. “Ultimately, that is why this center is, in my mind, one of the best things to happen here in my 12 years.”Equipment in the room includes bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, a stretching machine, squat racks, circuit machines and various weightlifting stations.The appeal of the fitness center is evidenced by the 31 students who come in at 6:30 a.m. to get in an early gym class.Physical education teacher Mike Lusch said the class counts as a normal gym credit and frees up time later in the day for students.“It might give them the opportunity to leave early for employment or to take an honors class in the afternoon,” he said. “It’s been a tremendously popular option.“We even had a waiting list to get into the program.”During class, students go through different stations, including chest, back, shoulders, abs, triceps, biceps, more abs, legs, knee extensions and calves.That is paying big dividends for Lehighton’s student-athletes such as field hockey player Mackenzie Hoats.“The bigger space helps us to guide others along the right path,” she said. “It’s not cramped in here and everyone can move around. I think it allows us to achieve more of our potential because we can all be on a machine.”As a track athlete, Amanda Mathisen tries to get in as much work as possible.“Before we had to go outside to get to the fitness equipment, so to have this great facility right here attached to the high school, it’s awesome,” she said.District officials agree. It’s why they had a vision to eliminate what was previously wasted space next to the high school gymnasium.“We had a room that was very tall and you could see all the way up to the ceiling, but we weren’t utilizing that top half,” Lehighton athletic director Kyle Spotts said. “So what we did was put another level in and put the wrestling room up there.”Each floor has its own sound system and motion sensor lighting.The wrestling team previously did their running in the halls and gymnasium.Not only a wrestling room, it also doubles as practice space for Lehighton’s cheerleading squad.“Past graduates have come in here and they remember what it used to look like,” Spotts said. “What we have heard from them and current students is how amazed they are with what was done here.“We’re grateful the school board decided to go this route. Even for myself, I played college football and I know our weight room was nothing compared to this. The students here are very fortunate.”