State-of-the-art fitness centre to open on campus

Dundee's newest, biggest and most-high tech fitness centre is set to open on campus in September. The £3.5 million development at the old Institute of Sport and Exercise will house a massive 400 metre square gym over two levels - the largest in Tayside, - international competition standard squash courts, a designated martial arts combat zone and two new aerobics studios.

The fully air conditioned facility, re-branded as ISE, will also offer a range of other services including personal health checks, massage and nutrition. There will be longer opening hours, more classes and greater accessibility.

The state-of-the-art gym is particularly impressive and hosts some of the most high-tech, energy efficient machines on the market.

The gym is the first in the UK to host personal viewing screens with in-built mp3 docking stations, which means that you will be able to download your own music, movies or workouts to the treadmill or bike and tailor your gym session to suit you.

Intelligent machines also complete their own "health and safety" checks and trigger messages back to the manufacturers when they identify potential weaknesses or faults so that a service can be carried out before the machine breaks down.

The equipment is also energy efficient - there is no 'stand-by', which means when the machine is off, it's off and not unnecessarily wasting energy.

However, staff at ISE are hoping the machines are not off for long! With the cheapest prices in Tayside, membership is likely to be in high demand, particularly among University staff who are being offered the cheapest rates.

ISE's exercise co-ordinator, Osla Allen said, "ISE is going to be fantastic for the University. Not only does it have the best equipment and facilities, it is so much cheaper than any other gym in Tayside."

"And, its on your doorstep! Staff will be able to escape from their desks for an hour and don't need to trek across town for top-class facilities. They are right here in the middle of campus"

The most expensive membership option at ISE - the Gym+ membership, which entitles members to access to all of facilities and classes - is less than half the price of some other fitness centres in the area.

Also unique to ISE, there is no joining fee and members only pay for 50 weeks of the year - they do not need to pay for the Christmas break when the facility is closed.

Current members are not being forgotten in the new development.

"As a special thank-you for their loyalty and for putting up with all the noise and disruption over the past few months, current members of the Institute will be offered two weeks free membership to come and try out the new facility when it opens its doors in September," Osla said.

Staff are invited to pre-register before 31 July. More information about ISE is available on the website www.ise.com.

University of Dundee staff prices

*NO JOINING FEE*

Gym+ £270.00 (annual) OR £25 (monthly direct debit)
Access all areas - gym, pool, exercise classes, and sports facilities

Gym £170.00 (annual) OR £15.80 (monthly direct debit)
Includes access to the members-only gym, all exercise classes and the Strength and Conditioning Performance Centre

Sport £155.00 (annual) OR £14.20 (monthly direct debit)
Includes access to all of the sports halls (suitable for members who only use the badminton, squash courts, 5-a-side and so on)

Aqua £85.00 (annual) OR £7.90 (monthly direct debit)
Includes access to the swimming pool and all aqua classes

All classes of membership include preferential booking and a reduced member rate for other ISE services (massage, consultations, etc).

A £3 top-up fee will enable members of one class to access services of another - for example, an aqua member can access the gym for just £3

**Special associate membership rates will be offered to Dundee alumni and spouses or children (between 16-17 years old) of a Dundee staff member. University of Dundee staff who take out ISE membership will be entitled to free membership for any children under the age of 15.