New dumbbells, pictured on April 21, 2025, were recently added to the fitness center at Osan Air Base, South Korea. (Eric Mendiola/Stars and Stripes)

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — Hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations and new equipment are beefing up workout and exercise routines at air base fitness centers here and in Japan.

At Osan, a $400,000 remodel at the 51st Fighter Wing Fitness Center meant a fresh coat of interior paint, a complete update of the main weight room with new strength-building equipment, mended portions of the aging indoor track and a new stroller and wheelchair lift.

The 72 new pieces of equipment include plate-loading machines, ellipticals, stationary bikes and selectorized machines — weight training equipment that uses a built-in weight stack to adjust resistance. Dumbbells and free-weight plates were included, too, said Shengo Sheffield, Osan’s fitness center director, by phone Wednesday.

Recently installed stationary bicycles stand ready for the next spin class at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on April 23, 2025. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)

At Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, home of the 374th Airlift Wing, the Samurai Fitness Center this month installed $100,000 worth of new weight machines and stationary bicycles, Tech. Sgt. Daryl Delosreyes, the fitness operations manager, said by phone Monday.

The center’s indoor basketball court is undergoing a $600,000 renovation, fitness and sports superintendent Master Sgt. Faith Donovan said Thursday by Facebook Messenger. That job began Feb. 24 and is expected to conclude in the fall, according to notices posted at the fitness center.

Plus, the base recently resurfaced an outdoor basketball court and is resurfacing an adjacent tennis court. The cost of that work was not immediately available Friday, Donovan said.

A running track above the basketball court at the fitness center Osan Air Base, South Korea, on April 21, 2025. (Eric Mendiola/Stars and Stripes)

None of the upgrades are part of a specific Air Force plan to spend more on keeping base populations fit and active, Delosreyes said.

At Osan, Col. Jeff E. Elliott, commander of the 51st Mission Support Group, and Lt. Col. Annabelle Hill, commander of the 51st Force Support Squadron, decided the facility needed a makeover after they walked through it together in late March, according to an email Thursday from wing spokesman Wooil Ahn.

It closed for 10 days last month for the renovations.

“The Osan Fitness Center is a heavily used facility and a core component of resilience for Active-Duty members and their families here at Osan Air Base,” Hill said in a statement provided by the wing. “The renovations we conducted were to refresh the facility and enhance customer experience. Here at the 51st Force Support Squadron we continually seek out opportunities to better serve the community and improve warfighter readiness.”

Obtaining new equipment for the Osan center took over a year from the first request, Sheffield added.

“It keeps everybody on the same level where we have equipment that everyone can come here to get a good workout and be ready for whatever,” he said.

A fitness group works out on free weight equipment recently installed in the Samurai Fitness Center at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on April 23, 2025. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)