![]() It is argued that one of the main motives is the desire to achieve a certain physique that conforms to contemporary aesthetic ideals (e.g. Consequently, one may think that the more time gym users spend at their gym, the more they engage with its material and social environment, and the more they are affected by the same so that the gym becomes more than just a training site for them.Ī substantive body of work on gyms deals with participants’ motivation to go to the gym ( Crossley, 2006 Dworkin, 2003 Dworkin & Wachs, 2009 Laverty & Wright, 2010 Stern, 2008 Stewart, Smith, & Moroney, 2013). As Bryman (2004) notes, “hybrid consumption”, that is, consumption of several goods and services within one single place, tends to extend the time spent by the customers there. ![]() Depending on the size and the target group, multi-purpose amenities encourage pre- or post-training activities, for example at their spas and beauty centres or they organize social activities at the weekend ( Stewart, Smith, & Moroney, 2013). ![]() In order to attract customers, most gyms offer more than a plain and functional working out environment but present themselves as lifestyle or family oriented places. Most urban gyms are located in the city centre and are at their busiest during lunch time and after work hours. In the UK, for example, almost 13% of the UK population is registered as members of a private health and fitness gym or a publicly-owned fitness facility, with London having the most registered users ( European Health & Fitness Association, 2014).įitness gyms vary in location, membership fees and serve different social and economic milieus. Gyms are one of the most pursued leisure places in Western societies and can be said to have established themselves as part of a white, middle-class culture ( Featherstone, 2010 Howson, 2013 Phillips, 2005 Sassatelli, 2010 Shilling, 2005, 2008, 2012 Stebbins, 2009). Every European and North American city, and even small towns, seem to have a fitness gym. Whether in the basement of a commercial complex, half-hidden between two corner stores, next to the tube station or on a wide green field in the suburbs, gyms have conquered urban space. The results of this study can be linked to broader political discourses on health and fitness that make use of corporate managerial vocabularies and are based on ideals of rationalization and efficiency. Surprisingly, a small group of regular gym users displayed more critical sentiments and distanced themselves from the images and values the gym stands for. Third, gym members associate their gym workout with amplified emotional resilience, believing that fitness workout makes them not only fitter in a physical sense but also fitter and better equipped in a psychological sense. Second, gym training is believed to increase the control they have over their lives. First, gym participants perceive themselves to be efficient and productive in general. Based on a thematic analysis of 32 semi-structured interviews it is argued that gym workout is a means to create better versions of the self on mainly three levels. Overall, it is argued that for many participants gym exercise is more than physical training it is also training for life. Wokingham Today has attempted to contact Mr Taylor for comment.The present study draws on Scott’s (2011) notion of the Re-Inventive Institution and explores how gym members make sense and give meaning to their exercise regime. Using a security access key, members can use the club at the time that suits them, with remote monitoring of surveillance systems and personal safety devices in place. It has a branch in Woodley at Shepherds Hill. “We appreciate that this is hugely disappointing news to receive, and all members have been provided details regarding any owed membership fees.”Īnytime Fitness claims to have more than 185 clubs throughout the United Kingdom, and more than 190,000 members. In a statement to Wokingham Today, a spokesperson for Anytime Fitness said: “We can confirm that our franchised location in Wokingham has permanently ceased trading, with all members being informed on Thursday June 15. In its latest filed company accounts for the year ending February 2021, the company reported a deficit of £213,642 based on current assets versus net liabilities. The current sole director, Neville Taylor, has a registered correspondence address that belongs to a mail forwarding business. According to information from Companies House, two previous company directors resigned and a new one was appointed earlier this month. Wokingham Today understands the Anytime Fitness Wokingham club was operated by Kre8tive Fitness Ltd. Members enquiring about refunds are being asked to send their details to an address in Herefordshire. Anytime Fitness also confirmed that no further membership payments will be collected from its users.
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