New gym a good fit for students
OWNERS UNVEIL REVAMPED VENUE NEAR UNI’S HALLS
A NOTTINGHAM gym has been given a new lease of life and is already proving popular with the city’s students.
JD Gyms – part of the JD Sports brand – has taken over the former Xercise4less gym in the heart of Lenton’s student area.
The new venue is one of 20 JD Gyms sites opened across the country in the past week, after the company took over many of the Xercise4less gyms in July last year.
Xercise4less called in administrators when it ran into financial trouble amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the time, Alun Peacock, managing director of JD Gyms, said: “We are delighted to have completed this acquisition which enhances our position in the highly competitive gym market and which will ensure the continued employment of many hundreds of people.
“We look forward to reopening the gyms and welcoming our new colleagues and members, over the coming weeks.”
With the reopening of gyms across the country as lockdown restrictions eased on April 12, JD Gyms has finally be able to unveil what it has been working on under lockdown.
The Nottingham site is based in Midland Way, near the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee Campus.
A spokesperson for JD Gyms explained what the venues will have to offer.
“Featuring more than 300 pieces of the industry’s best cardio, strength and functional fitness equipment, each new gym will also offer one of the area’s largest free weights zones, prowler/sprint track, rig and boxing area.
“State-of-the-art fitness studios will play host to more than 300 classes a month, all of which are included in the monthly membership price.”
Second-year University of Nottingham student Louis Seal, 19, who lives in Wollaton, said: “I’ve been twice now and it’s much better than it was before. There are much more benches.
“I would say it wasn’t this busy before it changed over, but you can pretty much do anything here. There are also classes.
“It’s not that expensive, and it is mostly students so I think it’s good if you live nearby and want to go with friends.”
Bilal Ashraf, 18, a first-year politics student at the university, was visiting for the first time with mechanical engineer student Prit Dey, 19.
Both live in the nearby accommodation.
Prit said: “It’s been properly refurbished and now you’ve got everything you need.
“It was cheaper before, but you don’t mind paying a bit more because it is so much better.
“Pretty much everyone in these halls is taking advantage of it.”
Bilal added: “The last gym closed in the lockdown and we’ve been able to keep our memberships from then, and have the first month free.
“It’s really good quality and mostly students, so it is always busy no matter what time. But it’s a good USP for living here.” student