Get fit, day or night at new gym

News-Times reporter

Finding an excuse not to go to the gym just got harder now that anyone can work out 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even on holidays.

Ginni Murphy, of Amherst, has opened an Anytime Fitness franchise at 7590 Oak Point Rd., after her husband Ken -- owner of Nyman Construction Company in Cleveland -- built one in Solon from the ground up.

"I thought it was kind of a neat place, so I joined in February and absolutely loved the atmosphere," Murphy said. "Anytime you walked in, everything's in one room, you can see everything and you know exactly what equipment you're going to next. Everyone there was friendly and the members are just everyday people who were not intimidating to work out with."

After logging too many miles in her car driving to work, then to work out, and back to her Amherst home to take care of five children -- including nine-year-old triplets -- Murphy and her husband looked in to starting a gym of their own closer to home.

She settled on a 3,600 square foot space across from Target in the Deerfield Crossings Shopping Center in August.

Two weeks ago, workers were busy installing floors before exercise equipment could be moved in to the new facility.

The machines include stationary bikes, ellipticals, E-Spinners with virtual trainers, treadmills with TVs built in to them, a rotary torso machine, free weights, and circuit and cross training equipment which are made by Irvine, Calif.-based Star Trac.

"All of this equipment is very user friendly," Murphy said. "You can make all of your adjustments from a seated position and the weight stacks instead of normally inserting a pin to whatever weight you want and with this equipment, it's just a flip switch or like a light switch."

Murphy told the News-Times new members will get a tour of the club, and a crash course on how to properly use each machine. She also has a contract with two personal trainers.

"I've seen some people not touch a piece of equipment in a gym because they don't know how to use it and we want to change that," she said.

Saturday and Sunday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., new members will receive the presale membership price of $29.95 a month. Afterwards, the membership fee will be $34.95 a month with the possibility of having to pay an enrollment fee. While the gym is accessible 24 hours a day, the staff will be manning the front office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

For $10 a month extra, members have the option of adding tanning to their gym membership fee.

Plus, members will have access to Anytime Fitness's nearly 1,400 gyms around the world as part of their membership.

"It's exciting," Murphy said. "It's something we really need around here."

For more information contact Murphy at 984-4961.