An abandoned warehouse sounds like such a good idea to throw up a fitness facility, right? But what if that gym stays open 24-hours a day? It’s all the part of a new phenomenon hitting Dublin, allowing people to be flexible in their approach to training and visit when they want.
What’s going on that we would need a 24-hour gym? And more importantly, what if a limitless timeframe isn’t for you? Where can you go to keep fit?
“The 24-hour gym model was in fact a response to criticisms in the industry around high gym rates and gym contracts,” says Jackie Skelly, director of the Flyefit group, who operate the facility on Macken Street, as well as three others. “The consistent demand to open earlier and earlier and stay open later, especially at weekends was considerable, so we just went for it.”
It may not look much from the outside; the front has been extensively renovated and the glass entrance conceals what’s on the inside, making it appear like a swanky new office. But once you get your foot in the door it’s like being in a warehouse rave party for fitness fanatics; there’s a giant pitch on the side, a large tyre used for resistance training, pull up bars, cardio equipment, locker facilities and giant graffiti all over the walls.
“We are also the first gym chain to combine normal commercial gym services with massive functional training areas, i.e astro-turf floors, battle ropes, rigs, racks, Olympic lifting platforms, prowlers and sleds,” Skelly tells NewsFour. “It appeals to anyone in the pub, restaurant, nightclub, hotel, catering, leisure, entertainment industry, taxi drivers, nurses, students and any kind of shift workers. It’s an eclectic mix, and we are very happy with the response.”
Flyefit isn’t the only gym offering a 24-hour service; in Dun Laoghaire there’s Anytime Fitness, which offers pretty much the same fitness facilities as Flyefit with a few minor exceptions, such as high definition TVs, 24-hour security and free parking.
“People are leading busier lives nowadays and need to fit in a workout at a time that suits them,” says Gar O’Holohan of the Aura Holohan Group, who operates Anytime Fitness in Ireland. “A clear gap has emerged in the market for people who want convenient, quality facilities at an affordable price, and the Anytime model fills that requirement perfectly.”
The gym offers treadmills, exercise cycles, free weights and functional training facilities. The gym also holds a number of circuit classes, which are free to members.
“Fitness is so important for physical and mental health that if some people get their fitness fix by going to 24-hour gyms then great,” says Killian Hurley, manager of YLifestyle Fitness, based in Sandymount and Aungier Street.
“We are Dublin’s only social enterprise gym and 100% of our profits go toward funding the YMCA charity services supporting youth development in the local area,” says Hurley. “We are not a chain or corporate gym, and although we offer the best in classes, trainers and equipment. We are more than just a gym, as training here literally helps to change the prospects for disadvantaged young people in our local area.”
YLifestyle fitness offers an extensive range of fitness facilities such as pilates, thump boxing, body blasts, step aerobics, barbells classes, squat racks, astro track with battle ropes and prowler, various cardio machines, dumbbells, and TRX facilities.
For more information on prices and timetables visit: Flyefit.ie, Anytime Fitness.ie and YMCA.ie/YLifestyle
By Liam Cahill
