It’s been an eventful few weeks for The Gym since the business opened on Sept. 1.
The fitness facility, located in Scotsburn Square in Estevan, had been busy since it opened, but then it shifted to being open 24 hours a day on Oct. 1, allowing it to meet the needs of its customers even more.
Treena Hirsch, who owns the business with her husband Chad, said she saw a need for such a facility in Estevan. When the previous owner backed out, the Hirsches saw an opportunity to own a gym.
“My husband and I have always been passionate about fitness since we were in high school together, so I knew this place could succeed. It just needed a new take and it needed additions,” said Hirsch.
They also knew The Gym couldn’t succeed on memberships only.
And they also knew they needed a good manager who shared their passion for fitness. A friend recommended Melissa Hala, and they agreed that she was the right person. Hala accepted the job.
“This felt like a dream opportunity, honestly, because I did go to high school here, and it just worked out perfectly,” said Hala. “My previous career, I could feel was coming to an end.”
Hala was a registered massage therapist, but she has also competed in bodybuilding shows and power lifting meets for five years.
“Massaging all day, that wasn’t what got me up in the morning and excited to take on the day. It was going into the gym to get my workout in and to train for some of the different events that I was working towards,” said Hala, who is one of eight employees at The gym.
Both Hala and Hirsch have been surprised with how well the business has done. New members continue to join on a daily basis. A friendly attitude and cleanliness have been a priority for the company.
“What I really love is it’s all walks of life. It isn’t just one specific type of person,” said Hala. “So you do have athletes. You have high school aged kids coming in. You also have a lot of senior citizens and retired people in the mornings.”
Some of their members suggested that The Gym should be open 24 hours a day, so Hirsch said they decided to make it happen.
“There is a lot of shift workers in town, people that like to work out at 8 o’clock at night or 4 in the morning,” said Hirsch. “By becoming 24 hours, we could offer that to everyone. It wasn’t just a set schedule.”
The first time they were open throughout the night, Hala said they had seven or eight people come in at 9:30 p.m., and more at 11 p.m.
Clients have offered a lot of positive feedback, Hala said, especially when it comes to the sanitization procedures at The Gym.
The Gym has a wide variety of weight-lifting equipment and cardiovascular machines that one would expect to find in a fitness centre. They also have a smoothie bar, training services and tanning, and they sell supplements and clothing. And they have a variety of classes including aerial yoga and total resistance exercise suspension classes that use a participant’s body weight.
“You hang from the ceiling. Those little holes in the ceiling, you’re suspended from them,” said Hala.
“It’s a lot of lunges, push-ups and squats. It’s a really physical workout,” added Hirsch.
They’re bringing in a kettle bell, which is a different kind of weight and a different workout for both cardiovascular and weight training.
Classes include spin, boxing, kickboxing, self defence and jiu-jitsu. A registered massage therapist Aiden Miller works at The Gym.
“We’re always open to more classes. It just depends on if there is a need or a want for it,” said Hirsch.
Child care is offered Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and they provide tours in case anyone wants to come and look around.
