Ultra on trend for women’s wellness
FERNWOOD Fitness is swerving into the women’s health and wellness space with the launch of a new-concept facility in Geelong.
The opening of its first high-end Ultra club this month will see rows of treadmills jettisoned in favour of a focus on yoga, pilates and meditation alongside some high-intensity fitness classes.
The central Geelong centre, which cost about $400,000 to fit out, is a corporate-owned national pilot of the concept, with the intention that Fernwood Ultra will eventually be offered as a franchise.
Fernwood Fitness founder and chief executive Diana Williams said the move was in response to changes in the health and wellness market that had seen a rise in boutique yoga and wellness studios.
“There’s quite a dramatic change in the market in recent times with smaller studios and less of the big box gyms,” Ms Williams said.
“My observation of our members is they come and they get on the treadmills and they get bored.
“What they really enjoy is highintensity exercise and also the wellness and yoga, and meditation, and that side of fitness as well.”
Fernwood Ultra will continue to offer its high-intensity, 30-minute class FIIT30, and virtual and live spin classes.
It will also have a dedicated “wellness space”, in which it will have virtual and live yoga, a meditation room and it has developed a wellness program in conjunction with Deakin University.
Fernwood Fitness has 70 women’s health clubs around Australia.
Ms Williams said she was pleased to be launching Fernwood Ultra in Geelong.
“It’s a very up-and-coming city,” she said. “It’s a good place to try something that is a little different.”
On the corner of Clare and Corio streets, Fernwood Ultra is launching on August 14.