RICHMOND, Va. –
Defense Logistics Agency employees looking to relieve stress, increase fitness and build resiliency have many options available through DLA Installation Management Richmond’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation fitness programs on Defense Supply Center Richmond.
DSCR employees have access to a 40,000 square-foot gym with weights and cardio equipment, racquetball, basketball, and volleyball courts, fitness classes, a walking group, an intramural basketball league and other fitness options through MWR Richmond, a non-appropriated fund division dedicated to supporting the readiness, well-being and quality of life of warfighters and DOD civilians.
“As part of our mission, we provide a state-of-the-art fitness center and a variety of sports programs at no cost to the DLA workforce, promoting physical health, mental resilience and overall life balance,” said Ursula Hickox, chief of MWR for DLA Installation Management Richmond. “Our programs are designed to enhance morale, foster a sense of community and improve daily life both on and off duty.”
MWR Richmond’s newest fitness equipment is the Trackman iO Golf Simulator located in Red Brick Fitness Center’s Room G104. It is operated by MWR’s Outdoor Recreation Program, and there is an hourly fee for use. Make reservations at the ITR Tickets & More Shop in Room 189 of Building 46.
The Red Brick Fitness Center offers instructor-led and virtual fitness classes as well.
Instructor-led fitness classes include L1FT, a resistance training class utilizing weights to sculpt lean muscle; Spin, a high-intensity workout focusing on resistance-based intervals on a stationary bike; and Sit-And-Get-Fit, a seated workout tailored to strengthen muscles.
Red Brick Fitness Center broadcasts additional classes in the multi-purpose room via Fitness on Demand. These virtual classes run on a pre-programmed schedule throughout the day.
For those who want to exercise outside, the Red Brick Fitness Center offers a walking group on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m., weather permitting.
The walking group’s path rotates between five different routes around DSCR, ranging from 2 1/2 to 2.8 miles.
Michael Dickerson, MWR Richmond’s Sports and Fitness manager, leads the walking group along with Jennifer Scott, Family Programs Manager at DLA Installation Management Richmond.
Scott, a mental health therapist, said that she shares mindfulness techniques with participants during the walk, though it is entirely voluntary. She also discussed the benefits physical exercise on the brain, body and mood.
“Physical fitness plays a crucial role in learning, memory, recovery and maintaining cognitive function. It acts as an anti-depressant, dropping our levels of cortisol and adrenaline,” Scott said. “It helps us to be more resilient by teaching our stress response system how to recover more efficiently.”
Giovanni Mackie, a quality assurance specialist in the DLA Aviation’s Engines and Airframes Division, Supplier Operations Commodities Directorate, used to drive to Fort Gregg-Adams to work out but now goes to Red Brick Fitness Center because it’s much closer and brand new.
“I’ll be 50 next year, so I must stay in shape,” Mackie said. “For me, exercising releases endorphins, which puts me in a great mood. It makes me feel accomplished, motivated and focused. To be honest, when I don’t work out regularly, my joints begin to ache. Living healthy is a lifestyle.”
MWR Richmond also offers special events like the Historic Hiking Challenge, which runs through April 26. Participants receive a map of 10 Civil War and Revolutionary War-era battlefields and sites in the Richmond area, which they get stamped by Dickerson after providing a photo of themselves at each location. Those who visit 10 sites will receive medals and be entered into a drawing for grand prizes.
The challenge also includes three bonus trails (Virginia Capital Trail, Yorktown Battlefield, and Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Park). Those that complete bonus trails will be entered in additional raffles, according to Dickerson. To sign up, visit the Red Brick Fitness Center’s front desk.
For those who enjoy team sports, the Red Brick Fitness Center routinely offers intramural basketball association leagues and tournaments and other sports.
"Basketball is our diamond of the sports program here at MWR,” Dickerson said. “We can always count on the workforce to participate in this sport. Since COVID, our numbers have dwindled down a little, but this is the strongest we've been since. We are always looking to expand for basketball, so I would encourage anyone interested to create and/or join a team, and when dates are released for the basketball league, sign up!”
The fitness center will host a pickleball tournament March 24, from 4-6 p.m. Teams will consist of two people. Registration is due by 8 p.m., Friday, March 21.
For more information on Red Brick Fitness Center’s basketball league or pickleball tournament, see Michael Dickerson at the Front Desk.
For more information on the golf simulator, contact Thomas Hogge at ITR Tickets & More in Room 189, Building 46.
The Red Brick Fitness Center is available for Department of Defense military and civilian personnel, Coast Guard civilians, retirees, dependents and contractors working full-time on DSCR. Its hours of operation are 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.