Territory’s fitness junkies pumped to get back into the gym

FITNESS junkies rejoiced as many Territory gyms once more reopened their doors to patrons on Friday

Clare Beacham and trainer Stephanie Jeans tryi out the new outdoor gym set up on Casuarina Drive. Picture: Glenn Campbell

FITNESS junkies rejoiced as many Territory gyms once more reopened their doors to patrons on Friday.

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Anytime Fitness in Stuart Park reopened right on 12pm Friday when restrictions were lifted, and manager Mariana Travassos said it couldn’t have come soon enough.

“Your have no idea, today is a big day,” she said.

“It’s really exciting having our members around. We have a club culture here with all out members, and we had out members texting us and checking if we are fine.”

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Anytime Fitness member Nelson Castro, who usually works out four or five times a week, headed into the gym around an hour after it reopened.

“I missed it a lot, it’s good to see some mates as well as getting back to fitness,” he said.

Earlier in the day, City of Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis opened the new outdoor gym on Nightcliff’s Casuarina Drive, saying the timing worked out perfectly with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

The gym includes more than 25 new exercise stations and equipment components along the foreshore.

“It was a happy coincidence (the timing of the project with the COVID-19 restrictions,” Mr Vatskalis said.

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“With people not doing anything it gave us the opportunity to demolish the old equipment and replace it.

“And now we can reopen the same time the pubs are opening. I think (from Saturday) people will come and do some workouts because they’ll have hangovers.”

Personal trainer and collaborator with the City of Darwin’s Healthier Darwin program, Stephanie Jeanes, said there has been a surge in interest in working out outdoors.

“With COVID-19 and all the gyms shutting people have found that it’s nice to be outside, the dry season’s beautiful,” Ms Jeanes said.

“Where else would you rather be – you’re by the ocean, you’re in the sunshine.”