The new Vo2 sports and fitness centre has opened at the University of Reading.

The £2.3m centre will cater for 5,000 members and is available to use for university students as well as members of public.

The new facility will be split over two levels. The ground floor will have a range of fixed and functional strength equipment as well as an extensive free weights area boasting fixed resistance machines, a free motion functional training circuit and plate-loaded and dumbbell equipment.

The first floor will house a range of cardiovascular equipment provided by Precor and includes 17 treadmills, 17 cross trainers, 12 upright cycles, six recumbent cycles, four steppers, one upper body ergo meter, eight concept, two rowers.

There will also be a cardio theatre area with four 42-inch plasma screens offering members the choice of viewing the latest sports action, music videos, news or entertainment.

A new yoga studio will allow a greater range of Active Lifestyles Courses to be offered at the site while an extensive course programme will run each term and includes five different types of yoga, Pilates, salsa, Indian dance and street dance.

The facility was opened by former Olympic champion James Cracknell, who is also a former University of Reading student.

He said: "The main challenge for rowers during my time at university was the lack of gym facilities.

“It meant that we had to do weights in a cupboard that was behind the athletic pavilion bar – still flooded with beer from the night before! But I can see the facilities are excellent now and it is great having this sort of investment in sport and fitness.”