New Gym at Woodlands!

There doesn't seem to be that much good news flying around these days, but I have some - Woodlands is about to undergo its biggest refurbishment ever!

Over the past two years we have developed a link with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). The business has invested heavily in training the team and now every member of the fitness team is a NASM certified personal trainer and their education is ongoing.

I am sure many of you have now experienced this new, evidence based approach to training and the many benefits. If you haven't - please do so NOW!

Now that the team have these credentials it is time to change the facility so the training can be carried out more effectively in the long term.

Evidence has proven that traditional training methods and fixed resistance machines fail to meet the requirements for the vast majority of people. An increasing number of people work with technology causing us to spend much of our daily life sitting down or performing repetitive movements, the last thing we need after sitting down all day is to sit down on fixed machines at the gym!

Fixed machines only train muscles in one plane of motion yet each and every muscle has the capacity to move in three planes. It is the two neglected planes of motion that are responsible for the vast majority of injuries. It is therefore essential that we train muscles in all three planes of motion to prevent joint problems and to extract the maximum calorie expenditure from every repetition. If a muscle contracts three times every repetition rather than once it will burn more calories - quicker weight loss!

With access to this evidence I have made the decision to transform the gym layout. This will involve removing traditional strength machines that have 'served their time' and allow us to use the space more effectively. I will replace the machines with more mat space, ball space; introduce barbells, an additional set of dumbbells, another pulley machine and other pieces of equipment that we will surprise you with!

Without giving the game away completely we intend to smarten up the club in many ways that will provide us with a facility that we can all be very proud of for years to come.

I am replacing all the cardiovascular equipment with new models. The new cardiovascular equipment will be installed on Friday 3rd July. To enable us to make all the other necessary changes the club will need to close for two days on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July.

Obviously we don't want you to miss out on a workout so I have organised a 'Power Walk' session on the Saturday and Sunday mornings at 9am. The session will be for approximately 45-60 minutes. This will give you chance to try something different and keep an eye on the improvements at the club!

On Monday 19th July we will re-open fully with a superb new facility designed to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

As you are all aware the current economic crisis is affecting many businesses - we are certainly not immune. I want to be proactive and try to strengthen the club for the long term. The club relies upon loyalty and stability from its members. I trust that the changes will be welcomed, but as always I value your honest opinion. Please email your thoughts to support@woodlandsfitnesscentre.co.uk

I would also welcome you to offer close friends and family the opportunity to take out a six week membership for just £50. Introducing new members in times of recession is always tough but if you can help point someone in the right direction it will help strengthen the club further.

I sincerely hope that you continue to enjoy your membership at Woodlands and are delighted by the forthcoming alterations.