By Asa Sokopo

Beacon Bay will soon be home to a third gymnasium following the construction of a brand new multi-million rand fitness centre at The Hub.

On October 1, Body Culture will officially open its doors in the same centre which is home to the national Curves gym and less than five kilometres from the Castle gym.

There are at least 14 gyms in East London known to the Dispatch.

And yet, despite the addition of another competitor, some local gym managers welcomed the new kid on the block.

Deon Leach of Body Classiqué said there was a market for everyone in East London.

“Gyms cater for different needs…we are really excited about them opening because this will get the word around on gyms,” Leach said.

Etienne Ferreira , manager of Virgin Active, said despite the country being in a recession, people were becoming more health conscious.

“It’s a good thing…more and more people are focusing on staying healthy.”

Manager and shareholder of Body Culture, Michael Ott, is banking on a different offering to pull in the fitness fundis.

While many of the gyms around East London are currently housed in existing buildings, the privately- owned Body Culture has been constructed from scratch.

“We have set ourselves apart from all the other gyms in East London … We are going to offer top service and we want to make it more personal,” Ott said.

The new gym will accommodate over 300 people at a time and will boast a health restaurant and bar at the entrance.

Alongside the health bar and restaurant, people will also get to enjoy the view of the latest cars on the market, which will be driven in and advertised inside the gym.

Gym merchandise and training wear will be for sale, and an in-house chiropractor, sports scientist and dietician will be on hand .

Parents will be able to leave their children in a childcare facility where they will be supervised and entertained.

For older children, rooms have been allocated for them to do homework while their parents have a workout or swim in the 25m pool.

Ott has a bachelor of commerce degree and is also a qualified trainer and international body builder who has worked in various gyms in the city.

The new facility will have a range of training options which include a super-circuit, cardiovascular section and a multi-purpose Matrix Functional Trainer with about 200 different exercises.

About 25 people will be employed when the gym opens, many of whom are qualified personal trainers.

Source: Daily Dispatch