Boost Your Immunity This Winter: 3 Easy Recipes to Stay Healthy
Maintaining your health from the inside out becomes even more essential when the temperatures drop. For instance, a robust immune system is key to warding off colds and flu.
Eat Smart This Winter: Fuel Your Body to Stay Warm and Strong
Winter is here! To feel your best, you need the right food to keep you warm, energised, and healthy.
Winter Warm-Up: Energise Your Muscles For 2025!
December is here, and so is our Winter Warm Up: Energise Your Muscles campaign! This festive season, we’ve got fantastic offers, exciting activities, and fun ways to stay active and healthy.
Treat Yourself This Black Friday with The Welcome Gym Rewards Hub!
Black Friday is a day away, and with it, the perfect excuse to gift yourself something special—without draining your wallet. At Welcome Gym, your membership is more than access to great gym facilities.
Give Back Friday: Mighty Membership Giveaway
We know you've heard about Black Friday, but have you heard about Give Back Friday? It’s not just any offer—it’s a chance to spread good vibes and help your friends get fit!
World Diabetes Day 2024: Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps with Exercise and Gym Fun!
Let’s talk about something important—World Diabetes Day! It’s on the 14th of November every year, and it’s a time to learn about diabetes and find ways to help people who have it.
Lift Together: Supporting Men's Mental Health Together this Movember
Movember is an annual campaign that raises awareness for men’s health, including physical and mental well-being. Movember isn’t just about growing moustaches – it’s a time to think about helping men feel better inside and out.
Lift Together: Join In On New Strength Events This November
This November, we’re so excited to bring you fun events all about getting stronger, in line with our Lift Campaign. Now, you might think it’s just about lifting heavy weights, but actually, there’s so much more to it!
Lift Together: How You Can Overcome Burnout With The Help Of The Gym
Burnout is when you feel exhausted, stressed, and overwhelmed. It can happen when you have too much to do at work or home.
World Menopause Day: How Staying Active at the Gym Can Make a Difference
Friday 18th October is World Menopause Day, dedicated to raising awareness of menopause and highlighting the support options available for those experiencing it. You might be wondering, what exactly is menopause?
World Mental Health Day at Welcome Gym: Best Fit Forward & Kibou
Today is World Mental Health Day and in support of this very important day, we are proud to bring our members a BRAND NEW membership nomination program and a new member rewards partnership that you can benefit from.Membership Nomination ProgramSometimes, factors outside a person's control can prevent them from exercising.
Welcome Gym Partners with Mental Health Support App Kibou
Kibou is now available to all Welcome Gym members at an exclusive discounted rate. The partnership builds on our commitment to support our members’ overall wellness and supports Kibou’s mission to empower everyone to communicate about mental health openly within their inner circle.
LIFT Yourself: Unlock Mind-Body Harmony with Somatic Movement
In today's busy world, finding methods to reconnect with both your body and mind for your overall health is crucial. Somatic movement, which focuses on gentle physical activity and mindful internal awareness, provides a powerful way to achieve this connection.
Lift Yourself. Lift Others. Lift Together.
When thinking of the word LIFT it's natural to picture large weight plates and big dumbbells. But "strength" and "lifting" don't always mean simply lifting heavy.
SAVE BIG with Exclusive Discounts & Deals in our Member Rewards Hub
Our mission is to enhance your membership experience, and what better way to do that than with exclusive deals and discounts just for you? Our Member Rewards Hub is designed to provide valuable perks—let's explore the latest offers!
National Fitness Day: Take Part In The UK's Biggest Celebration of Health & Fitness
On the 18th of September, we are celebrating National Fitness Day. This year's message is "Your Health Is For Life" and we have some awesome activities that help share that message.
Balancing University Life: How to Prioritise Fitness and Academics for Success
Going to university can be a time of great personal growth, but it can also bring feelings of stress. Fitness can be vital in improving your productivity and overall well-being while studying.
Older People & Fitness: Overcoming Barriers to Exercising as a Senior
Staying active at any age is important but for older seniors, regular physical activity is specifically important. Exercise helps maintain health, mobility & independence in older adults.
August Bank Holiday Membership Sale: Choose Your Fitness Fit
August is almost at its end and we have a special treat for you! You could save if you sign up for the gym between Friday 23rd August and Saturday 31st August 2024!
Rehabilitation and Recovery at the Gym: Bouncing Back Stronger
Injuries and physical setbacks can be daunting for anyone on their fitness journey, but with the right approach, the gym can be your best tool in rehabilitation and recovery. While your first thought might be to head to a clinic, gyms can offer a controlled environment with specialised equipment that can help you safely rebuild strength, mobility, and overall functionality.
Skyrocket Your Training With These 5 Fitness Workout Finishers
The Gym Games are coming to an end. We love seeing you push your limits and reach your fitness goals!
The Role of Agility in Functional Fitness: Why It Matters for Everyday Movement
Functional fitness helps you accomplish everyday activities more easily and smoothly. Most fitness programs focus on getting stronger and more flexible, but they often overlook agility.
Are You Flexible? Take Our Quiz to Find Out!
Flexibility is a key component of overall fitness, often overlooked but essential for optimal physical performance and injury prevention. Whether you're an experienced athlete or just beginning your fitness journey, understanding your level of flexibility can help you tailor your workout routine to your needs.
Building Habits to Stay Committed to the Gym
One of the most important themes of The Gym Games is commitment. Staying committed to the gym is a challenge many people face, but it’s a journey worth embarking on.
Unleash Your Inner Strength: A Guide to Different Types of Strength Training
This week The Gym Games is focused on all things strength! Strength training isn't just about lifting heavy weights; it's a versatile world with something for everyone.
The Science of Endurance: How to Train Your Body for Long-Lasting Stamina
Endurance isn't just about running marathons or enduring long workouts. It's the key to sustaining physical and mental efforts for extended periods.
The Gym Games 2024: Your Guide to Weekly Fitness Themes Inspired by the Olympics
The Gym Games is in a few short days, and we are so excited to have you challenge yourself and test your fitness! Now that you know where to get your challenge card and how to participate from 1 July, we thought we would share how you can split your sessions into meaningful, goal-driven workouts every time you come to the gym.
Take Part In The Gym Games 2024 | Coming This July
It's Olympics season, a time for the top athletes of the world to come together and compete for highly sought-after medals and World records - but the fun doesn't have to stop there! From 1 July - 11 August, take part in our Olympics-inspired gym challenge designed for EVERYONE and ANYONE to get involved.
5 Questions To Ask Yourself When Looking For A Personal Trainer
Having a personal trainer is having someone who will always be there to not only show you the ropes but guide you on YOUR journey and be a shoulder to lean on throughout your fitness experience. That being said, there are all kinds of personal trainers out there and choosing the right one can be tricky.
Summer Activities for Fitness, Fun, & Sticking to Your Goals
The sun is coming out and the days are getting longer! Summer's close by and it's the perfect time to embrace the sun and stay active.
Get Fit for Festival Fun: Your Guide to Summer Concert Workouts!
Summer is knocking on our door, and you know what that means – it's festival season! Picture this: dancing to your favorite musicians and DJs under the open sky, even if it means catching some Zs on, let's say, "creative" camping surfaces.
The Unsung Hero of Fitness: The Importance of Quality Sleep
In the world of fitness, the spotlight often shines brightly on rigorous workouts, strict diets, and the latest supplements. While these elements undoubtedly play crucial roles in achieving fitness goals, there is a silent yet equally powerful player that often goes unnoticed: quality sleep.
How Fit Are You Really? Take This Fun Quiz to Find Out!
Are you curious to know just how fit you are? Whether you're a seasoned gym-goer or just starting out on your fitness journey, this quiz is for you!
Greatness. It's in all of us!
With the Paris Olympics coming up this year, the event is set to bring together the best of the best in athleticism - but that doesn't mean greatness is only reserved for the elite or top 1%.We want to shed light on all our amazing staff and members who continue to achieve amazing things and remind our cherished community that greatness is in all of us.
May Madness: Weekend Membership Flash Sale
The May Bank Holiday is just around the corner and Spring is beginning to feel like a reality.With the warmer months (hopefully) coming up, what better way to build healthy habits and keep up a fitness routine than with the people you love?
Level Up Your Leg Day: 4 Must-Try Machines at the Gym
Sometimes the same exercises can end up dominating your leg day routine. Are you ready to kick things up a notch and challenge your lower body muscles in new and exciting ways?
Am I Using The Sauna Correctly?
Saunas are not just a fantastic post-workout experience, they offer numerous health benefits, including improved circulation, and detoxification. With saunas available at select clubs*, you have a great opportunity to enhance your overall well-being.
Exploring Passive vs. Active Range of Motion in Fitness
Let's talk about something important but often overlooked: passive range of motion (PROM) and active range of motion (AROM). These two play a huge role in how our bodies move and groove during workouts.
Muscle Imbalances & How To Fix Them
Have you ever found yourself feeling stronger on one side of your body compared to the other? That's because most people tend to have a dominant side, much like how you have a dominant hand for writing.
3 Ways To Get On Board, 1 Click Away!
We all have different lives, different routines, and different goals. That's why we have ensured this Bank Holiday break that we have different membership options AND membership offers to suit everyone.
Healthy Habits For Mental Well-Being
Since we are focusing on Mental Health this week, we thought sharing some healthy habits and practices you can adopt would be helpful on your journey to becoming 30 Days Stronger.Pre-Sleep MeditationThose who struggle with sleep can benefit from practising meditation before bed.
Gym Buddies: Healthy Meal Recipes For 2
Week 2 of our 30 Days Stronger Challenge and what better way to gear up for the halfway mark than with stunning Friday night healthy post-gym meal recipes for you and your gym buddy?Healthy Fish & ChipsThis healthy twist on a familiar favourite is bound to become your new go-to!
The Virtual Studio : Your Online Personal Trainer
With our 30 Days Stronger challenge in full swing, we thought this was the right time to expand on the online section so you can complete the challenge with ease.What To ExpectEvery Sunday via our social media channels, we will remind you of the highlighted online video pertaining to the week's challenge theme.
30 Days Stronger: A Full-Body Strength And Resilience Challenge
A new month is on our doorstep, and you're in luck because we have a new gym challenge for all our members! During March, you have the opportunity to take part in a full body strength and resilience challenge that will encourage building strength at the gym, at home, online, and in your mind.
Healthy Eating Does Not Have To Compromise On Taste!
Your fitness journey is made up of 3 essential components which cannot be overlooked. Those are exercise, nutrition, and motivation.
There Is Power In Partnering Up
Taking on a fitness journey is no small feat, especially if you are going at it alone. While your fitness goals are personal to you and your body, having someone on the journey with you has many hidden benefits that we will explore today!
Steps To Start: Pull-Ups, Deadlifting, And Yoga
Starting a new exercise can be daunting and exciting at the same time. There is a lot of information to take in and a lot of changes to take note of in your body.
Dance With Heart at our Zumbathon at Southend
Join our charity Zumbathon on Saturday 10th February in support of The Jude Harvey Foundation - helping to raise awareness for cardiac risk in the young. About The FoundationA young boy named Jude Harvey sadly lost his life, whilst he was away on holiday with his step-sister.
Show Yourself Some Love To Stay On Track
Our good friend and favourite nutritionist Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) is back, and this time we are talking STRENGTH! No more wracking your brain about what to eat to keep your bones healthy, Michele shares her expert insights in her NEW FREE e-book.
Share In Your Success
Since starting your journey and becoming a well-rounded gym goer, you're probably thinking, what are the next steps? The best thing you can do with your newfound knowledge and determination to be the healthiest you've ever been is to SHARE it with loved ones!
Mingle With The Manager: Fostering a Supportive Community in The Gym
At each of our clubs, we pride ourselves in creating a community built on like-minded goals and supportive people. We asked our Southend Manager Kirsty about the community she and her team have welcomed into the club and some of the fun things they do to keep everyone excited about their time at Welcome Gym!
Types Of Group Fitness Classes & What To Expect
Starting your fitness routine for the first time can be daunting but it's useful to have some kind of idea of what you are getting into before joining your first class.At each of our clubs, we offer a variety of group fitness classes that suit various people of all fitness levels.
A Workout Plan For Your First Week At The Gym
The new year has arrived! To start 2024, we have put together the perfect workout for your first week at the gym.
Start, Stay and Succeed in 2024!
With the New Year only a few days away, it's usually around this time when we start to reflect on the past year and decide what changes to make to ensure the next year is the best yet. If exercise forms part of your goals for 2024 - fear not!
Last Minute Gift Shopping On Our Member Rewards Hub!
Do you have some last-minute gift shopping to do for your loved ones this holiday? We've got your back with awesome deals and discounts on our Rewards Hub.
How To Stay Active While Travelling During The Holidays
The holidays are here! While it's exciting to pack your bags to visit family or break away to a holiday destination, it's important to be mindful of your health and wellness while travelling.
12 Days of Fitness Challenge!
To get into the festive spirit, we have created a festive fitness challenge to keep you on track and active during the holiday season. Now, park the mince pies and let's get cracking -12 Days of FitnessFor each day, a new exercise will be added to the list, but the catch is that you have to do the reps of the previous day's exercise as well - just like the 12 Days of Christmas song!
Fitness Unwrapped | Good Health Is A Great Gift
The last stretch of the year has arrived and we have just the thing to help you say goodbye to 2023. Unwrap fitness and get started on your new year goals with our amazing December offers.
TGIF - Thank Goodness It's Fitness!
We have officially landed in the season of giving and what is better to share with loved ones than the gift of health? With all these awesome Black Friday deals for you and your friends to benefit from, you will all be saying Thank Goodness It's Fitness!
Triathlon Challenge | Segment 3: Run/Walk
You did it - You made it to the final part of the Triathlon Challenge! This last stretch focuses on the bit of cardio that we all know and love.
Triathlon Challenge | Segment 2: Spin
Congratulations! You've made it to segment 2 of the Triathlon Challenge.
Triathlon Challenge | Segment 1: Swim OR Row
Welcome to November! To kick off the new month, we are exploring our Triathlon Challenge, how it works and delving into the first segment of the challenge.
48hr Multi-Pass Giveaway | Take Part In Our Triathlon Challenge
We are back with another 48hr Multi-pass membership giveaway and this time around you and a loved one can take part in our Triathlon Gym Challenge... and WIN fun prizes!
Take Part In Our Triathlon Challenge With A Teammate : Coming This November
We all know training with a friend or in a group can help boost your motivation, accountability, routine variety, and fitness FUN factor. This is why we have created the perfect gym challenge for you and a friend to complete.
Virtual Studio: Beginners Guide To The Gym
Our Virtual Studio is your one-stop destination for all things fitness. We understand that sometimes life can get in the way and disrupt your regular gym routine.
It Doesn't Have To Be A Personal Best: Celebrating The Little Wins
Goal setting, when it comes to your fitness, is a great way to track your progression. However, if you struggle to maintain motivation to reach your goals, this can leave you feeling a little despondent.
Manager Feature: Remedial Therapy & Sports Massage By Iain Duncan
How did it start?The name ‘sports massage’ came about in a roundabout way.
It Doesn't Have To Be Alone : Enhance Your Fitness Journey By Training With Others
Whether you are striving to shed a few kilos, increase your endurance or simply lead a healthy lifestyle, the journey to reaching your fitness goals doesn't have to be a lonely one. Working out with a community, a friend or a personal trainer can unlock a whole new way that you engage with your fitness routine.
It Doesn't Have To Be Perfection : Setting Goals And Being SMART About Them
We've all been there, having a big goal to lose 20kgs, to bench press as much as the biggest guy in the gym, or to improve your endurance tenfold. While setting goals for yourself is great and gives you something to work towards, goals can sometimes make you feel guilty.
Unlock a Healthier You on National Fitness Day!
At Welcome Gym, we're all about celebrating the power of fitness and the positive impact it can have on your life. That's why we're excited to join the nation on the 20th September in celebrating National Fitness Day, a day dedicated to embracing a healthier lifestyle and redefining the way you feel about your body.
The Role of Motivation: Why Your Inner Drive Trumps Any Specific Start Date
While hitting the treadmill or pumping weights can make you feel great, the driving force behind your fitness journey lies within. You don't have to wait for a perfect start date to take your health into your own hands when your motivation is far more powerful than any calendar date.
Exercise. Your Style. Your Way. Any Day.
Autumn is here and the best way to kick the new season into gear is with the healthiest version of you. Exercise does not always have to mean lonely workouts, starting on a certain day or time, it does not have to be perfect and you don't have to give yourself crippling personal bests.
August Bank Holiday Membership Sale - Big Savings On The Best Option For YOU!
August is here and you know what that means.... Our Bank Holiday Membership Sale is back!
Adapting Functional Exercises for All Body Types
When it comes to YOUR fitness, the one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to generate the results you want to see. Every person is unique and our bodies come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and capabilities.
Unlocking Gains: A Hardgainer's Guide to Building Muscle
If you are on the journey of gaining muscle, it can be a rewarding one when you start to see and feel results. However, for those with a naturally fast metabolism and slender build, it can be a struggle to see those sought-after gains.
The Big Debate: Cardio or Strength Training?
The age-old debate between cardio and strength training has been ongoing for years. Some people live by adrenaline-inducing cardio workouts while others swear by the sculpting power of strength training.
Sports and Technology: The Role of Gadgets in Enhancing Performance
In the world of sports and fitness, technology has become a game-changer, revolutionising the way athletes train, compete, and enhance their performance. From advanced wearables to cutting-edge training tools, these gadgets are empowering athletes to reach new heights and push their limits like never before.
Lois Anderton : Powerlifting All The Way From Sutton To The World Champs!
Our staff range from various ages and backgrounds so when any of them achieve anything in their respective lives, it's only right that we celebrate and support their hard work. Coming out of our Sutton club and one of our youngest teammates, assistant manager, Lois Anderton is making huge ground in the world of powerlifting and has been chosen to represent Team GB at the World Powerlifting Championships next month.
48HR ‘SUMMER TASTER PACKAGE’ GIVEAWAY
What better time than Summer to craft your own gym experience? We have the perfect solution!
How To Add Agility Training To Your Exercise Routine
Agility is your ability to control your body's position while quickly changing direction in response to an outside stimulus. Agility requires coordination, balance, power and speed.
Stretch, Rest & Recover
We are always told to stay active and keep exercising but nobody speaks about the importance of rest days in your routine. It is important to add time for rest in between your regular exercise to give your body a chance to recover from the work it has done as well as so it can stay strong to prevent you from getting injured.
What Can Spin Do For You?
There is no denying it, cycling is a great way to get fit. Whether you choose to cycle outdoors on narrow, winding roads or if you prefer the supportive energy and motivation you get from joining an indoor spin class, this exercise has the most amazing benefits!
Fit The Gym Into Your Sporting Summer
This season, we've got a range of sports-inspired activities coming up to help you fit the gym into your Sporting Summer and keep you moving during the warmer months.Train From Wherever You AreWhether you are travelling for your Summer holiday or watching sports at home, you can still get in your workout wherever you are situated with our on-demand workouts on the Virtual Studio.
The Power of Collective Energy
When it comes to reaching your fitness goals, the road can sometimes be filled with challenges and can leave you feeling lonely. However, the power of collective energy that you find in group fitness classes can revolutionise your fitness journey.
Fueling Your Workout
Exercise is fantastic but in order to reap the benefits of all your hard work, you need to supplement your body with fuel yourself before and after you exercise. Navigating what exactly to choose when you are working out can be tricky for some, so we have broken it down into the most important foods will you need to make the most our of your workouts.
Should You Switch Up Your Exercise Routine?
Regular exercise in any shape or form is undeniably beneficial for your body and mind. But what if you could elevate those benefits and your workout routine?
Health Benefits of Swimming - Why You Should Be In The Pool More Often
As we get older, it becomes more and more important to keep our bodies moving on a daily. While everyone knows that cardio is essential to keeping your heart healthy, running on the treadmill is not always the most fun especially heading into the warmer Summer months.
Mental Health Awareness Week: Exercises To Ease Symptoms of Anxiety
Exercise has been proven to help ease depression and anxiety symptoms which is why amid Mental Health Awareness week, we have compiled some of our favourite exercises that you can do when you are feeling anxious, overwhelmed and just need something to help make you feel a bit better.How Exactly Does Exercise Help With Anxiety?
Why Low-Impact Exercises Are Important For Everybody
When you hear the words "Low-Impact Exercises", you probably think of senior water aerobics classes or yoga or maybe pilates springs to mind. While low-impact exercises might sound less hardcore and may give you the impression that they are less effective than their more intense counterparts, you will find that with the right application, these exercises can have the world of benefits for anybody of any fitness level.
Dance Like No One Is Watching - How Dance Puts the Fun Back Into Fitness
Sometimes fitness can feel like a chore especially when you have fallen into that all too familiar feeling of monotony in your routine. What if there was a way to inject FUN back into fitness?
So You Want To Start Lifting: Weight Training Tips For Beginners
Whether you've been at the gym for a while, or you've only just started out, the weights section can sometimes feel like an intimidating place to jump in to if you don't know what you're doing. But fear not!
Just Do You - For you!
We understand that each person's road to fitness is distinct and that everyone has different preferences and goals. In order to make your time at the gym more enjoyable and satisfying, we provide a wide variety of intriguing activities to choose from.
Your Fitness Journey: Customising Your Workout Routine for Long-Term Success
We understand that different people have different preferences and goals when it comes to their workouts, so we're here to help you customise a workout routine that suits what you enjoy and keeps you committed for the long run. In this blog, we'll discuss some common pain points, such as weight loss, flexibility, and more, and provide tips on how to tailor your workout routine to meet your specific needs.
Bank Holiday Triple Membership Sale
It's that time of year again and our Bank Holiday Membership Sale is back! If you sign up between Thursday 6th April and Friday 14th April, you could save on the option that suits you best.
Food To Fix Your Hormones With Nutritionist Michele Scarr
If you’ve ever struggled with hormonal imbalances that cause uncomfortable symptoms nutritionist, Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) is here to help! In her new eBook, you will learn how to help balance your hormones by adding plant oestrogens to your diet.
Busy Mums : The Best Time-Saving Workouts
Being a mum is a full time job and we know how hard it can be to find the time to work out with all the endless responsibilities you have on your plate. Between work, running errands, chasing after the kids, and trying to keep the house in order, it's easy to put exercise on the backburner.
48HR 'Gym Taster Package' Giveaway
This Women's Month we're celebrating everything that makes our gyms inviting and inclusive for everyone! And this weekend, we're offering the opportunity for members to bring a friend to experience our fun and friendly facilities with another 48hr exclusive membership giveaway.
Meet Our Brand Ambassadors: Jo Stevenson
This week, we have another awesome ambassador to introduce you to. With multiple years of exeperience in the fitness industry, this yoga expert, Les Mills trained instructor and all round awesome individual was a no brainer when we were on the hunt for who represented our brand best.
Welcome Gym & This Girl Can: Women's Month
March is International Women's History Month and Welcome Gym has been selected as 1 of 4 brands to participate in the next phase of Sport England's award-winning This Girl Can campaign. This year's campaign focuses on telling the stories of women who are physically active or play sports in ways that work for them.
Meet Our Brand Ambassadors: Jake Weekes
Over the past few weeks on our Instagram & Facebook, you might have noticed recurring faces on our video content. In case you were wondering who these awesome individuals with such valuable insights are, they are our Welcome Gym Brand Ambassadors!
Attention Sutton - We're Hiring
Are you passionate about a career in health and fitness and helping people achieve their goals? Welcome Gym Sutton is looking for a Personal Trainer to join the team, giving the successful candidate a chance to establish themselves as a fitness professional in a busy health club environment!
Gym Taster Package - 48hr Exclusive '5-Day Multi Pass' Giveaway
Our 48hr exclusive membership giveaway is back and this time we've made it a little bit different. We are giving you the chance to share a FREE 5-Day Multi Pass with a loved one - a Gym Taster Package valued up to £50!
Everyday Things You Could Be Doing That Affect Your Mobility
We all go through life in our own way and it's easy to forget to be mindful of certain physical habits that develop over time. These habits, without you knowing, can have a long-term impact on your mobility and the way you navigate the world.
Cardio Conscious: Ways To Improve Your Heart Health Outside The Gym
We all know some skipping, running on the treadmill or walking a few flights on the Stair Master are GREAT cardio exercises which help keep your heart in tip-top shape. However, did you know there are a few other things you can do to improve your heart health outside of the gym?
6 Ways To Track Your Fitness Progress
So, you had the new year's resolution conversation with yourself and you've decided to join or get back into the gym. That's GREAT news!
Primal Movements: The 7 Exercises Every Beginner Should Know
Pushing open a door, climbing up a flight of stairs, and bending to pick something up are all examples of things we do in our everyday lives that require movement. These are called Primal Movements.
Eat a Rainbow - 2 Week Veganuary Programme & Meal Plan
Do you find sticking to vegan meals challenging, but want to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet? Nutritionist Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) is back to help you add more greens, grains and fibre into your meals for the new year.
5 Tips To Get Back Into Your Fitness Routine After A Long Break
Christmas is over and 2023 is here! You've probably been busy with office parties, family lunches, meeting up with old friends and getting in some much-needed rest.
Hit Reset & Re-ignite Your Fitness Focus in 2023
It's a new year, a fresh start and there is no better time than now to breathe life into your fitness routine and get focused on your mental and physical well-being. We have loads of fun and exciting things in store to add to your journey!
How To Stay Mindful During The Holidays
The holidays can throw you out of the course and easily disrupt the regular healthy habits that you worked so hard to build throughout the year. It is still very important to practice self-care in the holidays so you can ease into your new year routine mindfully.
Winter Workout Tips To Make The Most Out Of Your Routine
You did it! You made it till the end of the year and stuck to your routine.
Festive Classes with PT Mart Geer From Sutton
PT Mart from our Sutton club is hosting private, exclusive classes just for you this December! The classes are small which means you will get plenty of tips, tricks and a great workout from a qualified Personal Trainer.
Gift A Great Feeling This Festive Season
December is here; with that, we have the perfect thing for you or a loved one. Beat the January rush and get a head start on your fitness with our great December offers.
SLEIGH Your Fitness Routine This Festive Season
The Festive Season is here and with all the celebration and much-deserved time spent with family and friends, it can be easy for us to forget to make time for our physical fitness and health. Here are some surefire ways to make sure you keep active during the holidays:Make Cardio A PriorityWith family, friends, food and celebration at the core of this season, your usual 2-hour gym session may need to be cut short to accommodate all your events, outings, and gatherings.
Get That Friday Feeling, Every Day Of The Week
The season of giving is upon us and we have the perfect thing to share with your loved one. Check out how you and your friends can benefit from our Black Friday offers and Get That Friday Feeling, Every Day Of The Week:Great Deals On Our Rewards HubGet access to Black Friday Deals from some of your favourite brands on our Rewards Hub!
The Importance Of Having A Workout Schedule
As we know, exercise is an extremely important part of life and consistency plays a big role in getting you closer to reaching your goals. This is why adding working out to your schedule is so important so that you can ensure that you get your exercise in as often as you should.
International Men's Mental Health Month
Men's mental health has rightfully been an increasingly talked about topic in recent years. So much so, that it gave rise to the Movember movement and November is International Men's Mental Health Month.
How To Make Exercise A Healthy Habit
Right now, we are all about factoring in the feel good and as well all know, exercise is notorious for releasing those happy hormones and making you feel like a million bucks but the only way this is possible, is with consistency. This means finding a schedule and sticking to it.
Back After 2 Years - A Southend Member's Story
At Welcome Gym, we have an array of different members from all walks of life. This time we are shedding light on one of our Southend members, Preeti Aggarwal.
Fighting For A Cause At Southend
We are all about helping our community and this time is no different! One of our Southend members, Alec has taken it upon himself to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
'Boost Your Mood' eBook, Live Q&A, and Autumn Group Programme with Michele Scarr
Nutritionist, Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) is back to help you tackle the post-summer slump (you know the one!).
Bring A Friend To Our 'Feel Good Fitness Retreat' Open Week
Feed your soul, align your mind, and tackle the stress of everyday life... with a loved one!
Zumbathon For Charity At Welcome Gym Southend
Join us for a 2-hour fun-filled workout for a cause! Welcome Gym Southend will be hosting a Zumbathon to aid Breast Cancer UK.
Rewards Hub: Our Favourite Kits for Easy Meal Prep
Fitness and nutrition go hand in hand and on our Rewards Hub (accessible via our mobile App), we have the best meal kit providers for you to choose from with amazing discounts you can take advantage of. Take a look at a few of our favourites:Mindful ChefWith Mindful Chef, it is simple: Choose your recipes, pick your delivery and start creating mouth-watering meals for you and your family.
Apply Now - Southend Is Recruiting!
Apprentices Needed at Welcome Gym SouthendWe’re looking to recruit new apprentices to take on the opportunity to gain valuable gym experience and learn to become an NVQ Level 2 Gym Instructor and NVQ Level 3 Personal Trainer. These roles are ideally suited to school leavers who do not wish to go into college or university and want to earn and learn on the job.
That Fresher Feeling: Mindfulness Tips for A Peaceful University Life
If your mind constantly shifts to worrying about the past or stressing out about the future, you can feel anxious and find it difficult to concentrate on the here and now. Mindfulness is about learning to enjoy the present moment in a kind and non-judgemental way.
Avoid Burnout With A Bit Of Balance
You know those days, the ones where it is so busy at the office that you impulsively agree to work 2 hours overtime and when you eventually get home, you are met with piles of laundry, dinner to get ready and the kids trying to get your attention all at the same time. Sound familiar?
National Fitness Day Extended Offer!
National Fitness Day took place on Wednesday 21st September and aims to highlight the importance of physical activity across the UK. By raising awareness about the necessity of exercise, we also encourage people to live healthier lifestyles.
Southend Ladies - Our Football Fields are Calling
Did you watch England win the Women's EURO 2022 and fancy having a go yourself? The Southend United Ladies team are looking for more players to join!
6 Beginner Breathing Exercises To Reduce Stress
With work, studies, kids and that never-ending to-do list, stress has a way of creeping in. Breathing is proven to reduce stress and anxiety when the right techniques are used.
Everything You Need To Know About Pilates
If you are looking to expand your fitness horizons, why not try something different? Pilates is a great way to incorporate low-impact exercise into your routine.
Gym Etiquette Guidelines To Ensure The Best Experience For You & Others!
Stepping into the gym for the first time can be a harrowing experience for any newbie. So many questions and uncertainties are surely running through your head, but following these simple guidelines can make the visit pleasant for you and others in the space.
Make Sure To Factor In The Feel Good This September
September is here and we want you to Factor In The Feel Good! After the Summer holidays, it's natural to feel a little overwhelmed - whether you're trying to get back into a normal work routine or starting up with the school run again.
August Bank Holiday Membership Sale - Save BIG on Options That Suit YOUR Lifestyle!
August is nearly over and we have a special treat for you! If you sign up to the gym between Friday 26th August and Wednesday 31st August, you could save!
Grab Your ‘Healthy BBQ Recipes’ eBook For FREE
It's BBQ season!Nutritionist, Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) has you covered this Summer with an incredible eBook dedicated to sizzling hot barbeques.
4 Tips For Staying Motivated on Your Fitness Journey
We all know that having a regular fitness routine that we actively participate in is great for our bodies and our minds. However, there is sometimes that little voice inside that tells you to skip a workout or to just stay at home - you can always workout tomorrow, right?
Member Rewards - An Added Benefit To Your Membership!
We believe health and well-being do not end at the gym. It's about living a well-balanced, rounded lifestyle.
6 Meal Planning Tips To Help You Save!
When following a fitness routine, nutrition is an important part of the journey. As the prices of EVERYTHING are rising, a little planning can make all the difference and will help you to avoid breaking the bank on unnecessary purchases.
Southend - Yoga & Relaxation Summer Detox Workshop
Southend members, join Sue in her Summer Detox Workshop focusing on restoring balance in the body with calming Yoga.When?
5 Tips To Keep Cool In The Summer Heat
The worst is hopefully over but the heat isn't going away just yet! It's difficult to maintain your day-to-day when you're feeling tired, sticky, and uncomfortable.
4 Pool Exercises For A Full-Body Water Workout
One thing we love about water is its buoyancy. When your body is in water, a portion of your weight is supported.
Sutton Is Recruiting!
Welcome Gym Sutton Is Now Recruiting!Shane Linehan, Welcome Gym Sutton’s Manager, is currently recruiting staff and would welcome passionate and approachable applicants to join his team.
Tips For Busy Parents During The Holidays
It's the Summer holidays and around this time of the year, between dinner preparations, family commitments, and endless amounts of laundry (we've all been there!), fitness can easily slip under the radar.
Make your Summer Better With Us!
Summer is here and there is nothing better than feeling your best in the warm weather - so make this Summer Better With Us!This season, we have lots of great benefits for you to look forward to:Great Value SpaceTop-class equipment, friendly and expert staff, and a safe environment for you to get and feel fitter is just the tip of the iceberg.
5 Mental Health Benefits of Exercise
Most of us know the physical benefits of exercise. Whether it be weight loss, muscle building, increased energy, or keeping your heart healthy.
5 Ways To Ease Post-Workout Muscle Soreness
There's no denying that working out can be an exciting, beneficial but sometimes an uncomfortable experience. When you work out, you are pushing your body and muscles to their limit.
The Goldilocks Rule: How To Stay Motivated
Ever been excited to do something, give your all for the 1st few weeks, and then the excitement starts fading, the willpower starts waning, and eventually, you don't complete your goal? Total bummer!
Summer Activities To Keep You Moving Throughout The Season
With Summer upon us, everyone is out and about looking for fun activities to do with friends and family. We believe that fitness can be incorporated into your everyday life and can be fun for you and your loved ones!
What Virtual Studio Class To Choose For Your Goals
We all have different goals and different journeys in fitness. Whether you are looking to destress with a lovely meditation or to build muscle with a strength class, our Virtual Studio has the class for you.
Attention Sutton - We're Hiring
Shane Linehan, Welcome Gym Sutton’s Manager, is currently recruiting a new operations/assistant manager and would welcome passionate and approachable applicants to join his team. A job at Welcome Gym offers the chance to work in a busy, buzzing health club with training programmes and opportunities to learn on the job and progress in a career in the fitness industry.
Gift a FREE 7-Day Mini Membership To A Loved One For Our Open Week
Working out alone is powerful, shows great dedication and is very fulfilling but working out with a loved one is also a great way to stay motivated on your fitness journey.See all the details for our exciting upcoming Open Week below:From 11am on Sunday 22nd May until 11am on Tuesday 24th May we are giving all our members a chance to share a FREE 7-Day Mini membership with a loved one via our mobile App.
5 Benefits of Signing Up To Virtual Workout Classes
Even though we have now welcomed our members back to the gym after lockdown, many of our lifestyles and working habits have changed. We believe that having access to regular support and fitness resources from wherever you are is crucial to keeping up with a consistent routine - and that's where virtual fitness classes come in.
Common Gym Fitness Team Misconceptions
We are sure that you have seen a few of our team members around the gym when you come in for your workouts - from Personal Trainers to reception staff and everything in between. They work hard to give you the best experience possible every time you visit us.
Gym Equipment You Never Thought You Needed
In the gym, there are some well-known favourites when it comes to equipment but there are some that make you think, “what on Earth are those things?”.
8 Essentials to Pack in Your Gym Bag
There's nothing more annoying than getting to the gym and realising you’ve forgotten something at home. What you pack in your bag could be the deciding factor between a good and a great workout!
Spring Bank Holiday Triple Membership Offer
We all have different lives, different routines, and different goals. That's why we have ensured we have different membership options AND membership offers to suit everyone.
5 Desk Stretches To Ease Aches and Pains at Work
If you are only just heading back to the office after working remotely, then you’ll know the struggle that comes with sitting at your desk for 8+ hours a day. Especially, if you haven’t been using an ergonomic chair - we’re looking at you ‘bed desk’ users!
Southend Spring Detox Yoga Balance Workshop
Shake off the heaviness of winter and welcome in Spring by getting the body’s energy flowing again - leaving the body and mind re-energized and invigorated.When?
Apply For An Apprenticeship At Chesham
Apprentices Needed at Welcome Gym CheshamWe’re looking to recruit new apprentices to take on the opportunity to gain valuable gym experience and learn to become an NVQ Level 2 Gym Instructor and NVQ Level 3 Personal Trainer. These roles are ideally suited to school leavers who do not wish to go into college or university and want to earn and learn on the job.
The Best Bits Of Group Fitness Classes
What's great about your Welcome Gym membership is that ALL indoor Group Fitness Classes are included and completely free, so you can try a few different ones out to see what you like.If you're feeling a bit nervous about getting involved with group fitness, or if you've never tried it before, here are a few of our top reasons to give it a go.
Gymtimidation: How To Overcome The Fear Of Working Out Around Others
If you ever feel nervous about going to the gym, know that you're not alone. It's easy to get in your own head and start to feel anxious about working out in front of other people.
Nutrition Spring Clean 14-Day Programme With Michele Scarr
Live a healthier lifestyle with the right fuel to complement your fitness routine.Qualified nutritionist Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) is offering all our members exclusive access to her 'Get Lean, Spring Clean' 14-Day interactive nutritional programme.
Our Top 3 Free Mindfulness Apps
These days, there are so many different Apps offering guided meditations, meditation tracks, and mindfulness exercises that it's sometimes difficult to choose the right one! But we've got you covered with 3 of our favourite FREE mindfulness Apps to ease anxiety, get better sleep, and find serenity.
'Healing The Presence Of The Past' Workshop at Southend
Join Christina Bucher for her renowned Family Constellations Therapy workshop at Welcome Gym Southend this weekend.Gain perspective and find peace with this in-depth group workshop focused on unearthing emotional patterns inherited from generations before you.
Welcome To Our 'Total Health' Month
Building a healthy lifestyle takes more than just focusing on your fitness. It's a combination of lots of factors that keep you feeling healthy in your mind, body, and spirit.
PT Tip - How To Effectively Build Strength At The Gym
Building muscle isn't always as simple as just lifting heavy. Our expert Personal Trainer Neil from our Sutton club shares his number one training tip for building strength at the gym:My No.
Intuitive Fitness: How To Workout Mindfully
Enriching fitness activities are IN. 'Go hard or go home' is OUT!
NEW Virtual Studio - Fitness From Wherever You Are!
Making fitness accessible is hugely important to us. Having access to support and fitness resources is crucial to keep up a regular workout routine and to help you feel motivated and inspired to move your body.
What Do We Stand For At The Gym?
Fitness is for everyone and we believe that everyone should feel comfortable to workout at the gym. No matter what your background is, what fitness experience you have, or goals you wish to achieve, we strive to provide a supportive and friendly environment to keep fit.
The 3 Rs Of Post-Workout Nutrition
During exercise, we generally use up stored energy from our muscles and lose fluid through perspiration. With the right nutritional snacks after your sweat session, you can help replenish these stores to optimise recovery and restore balance in your body ready for your next workout.
Build Your Handstand Workshop At Southend!
Have you always wanted to have a perfect handstand, or have you been struggling for a while and just need a boost in your practice? Then this is the workshop for you!
Grab Your 'Sugar Solution' eBook For FREE
Is your family addicted to sugar?Nutritionist, Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) has you covered with an incredible eBook full of advice on how to help your family avoid too much sugar without demonising it.
5 Exercise and Fitness Trends To Try This Year
It's no surprise that over the past two years trends in exercise and fitness have adapted to our new ways of living and working. We've seen everything from the rise of online fitness to weighted hula-hoops, and this year will be no different.
5 Secrets To Make Your Fitness Resolutions Stick
Whether you want to lose weight, change your routine, get stronger, or simply exercise more, fitness resolutions are amongst some of the most popular resolutions people make every year. But making the resolution is the easy part - so how do you avoid throwing in the towel after a couple of weeks?
22 Motivational Reminders To Empower You In 2022
With the "new year, new me" resolutions incoming there can be a lot of pressure to re-invent yourself and make quick, big changes to your life in the new year.Whilst change is good and dedicating energy to improving your life is what we're all about, sometimes you just need a few reminders to cut through the pressure and reassure yourself that with a little time, focus, and dedication, you will achieve what you set out to do.
The End Of Year Exercise Slump & How To Combat It
There's no denying that working out in the Winter is tough - especially when you're all cosy and comfortable inside. Not to mention, we're all feeling pretty exhausted after a very up and down year.
Grab Your 'Christmas Survival Guide' eBook For FREE
Less Festive Fear, More Festive Cheer! Nutritionist, Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) has you covered this Festive Season with an incredible eBook dedicated to keeping you healthy and happy this December.
Like Fitness? Love Friday!
Exciting things are coming this Black FridayTo celebrate all of your hard work and dedication to better fitness, we've got some special giveaways lined up for our amazing members.Come into the gym between 26th - 30th November and stand a chance to WIN exclusive health & wellness brand offers, Personal Training specials, FREE guest passes, FREE memberships for your friends, branded freebies and more.
New Group Fitness Classes At Sutton!
Group Fitness Classes are an excellent way to try out new things, push yourself, and stick to your fitness goals with amazing support from fellow gym-goers and instructors. Plus the majority of our classes are designed to suit all fitness levels so even if you're just starting out you can still get involved.
Help The Homeless This Festive Season
Sutton members, we need your help!Working together with Sutton Night Watch, we’re collecting donations for local homeless people in the area during the festive season.
The Treadmill Workout That Really Works!
Recently, we've seen one particular workout getting a lot of buzz on social media. The 12/3/30 workout!
5 Exercises You Can Do With Your Workout Buddy
Working out with a friend is fun, motivational, and a great way to try out some new exercises together!What you will need: A long resistance band and a medicine ball.
Share An Exclusive 7-Day Mini Membership With A Friend!
Working out with a friend is a great way to stay motivated, hold yourself accountable, and push yourself to reach your fitness goals. That's why we're now offering you the chance to share your amazing gym experience with a friend for a WHOLE WEEK.
Fitness Can... Benefit Your Relationships!
Regular fitness doesn't just improve your physical well-being, it can also have positive benefits on your social life! Going to the gym with a workout buddy is one thing, but the gym can also help you to make new friends.
Group Fitness Just Got More Exciting At Cheltenham!
Group Fitness Classes are an excellent way to try out new things, push yourself, and stick to your fitness goals with amazing support from fellow gym-goers and instructors. Plus the majority of our classes are designed to suit all fitness levels so even if you're just starting out you can still get involved.
New Onsite Qualified Therapist Comes To Southend!
Private counselling sessions are available from 1st October... right here at the gym!
7 Top Tips To Fight The Notorious Freshers' Fifteen
Moving out of your family home, meeting new people, going to parties, and starting a completely new routine - you guessed it, it's the start of Freshers' Week season!Continuing your studies at college or university for the first time is an exciting experience of discovery but it can also be incredibly daunting, especially if you now need to cook, clean, organise, and plan your life by yourself.
8 Unexpected Benefits Of Regular Exercise
We all know that a regular fitness regime can have amazing effects on your body, but there are also other powerful plus sides to putting in the work at the gym.
Boost Energy LevelsSticking to a regular fitness routine can make you feel more energised.
Be Your Best Self - Gym Memberships For Everyone
Everyone's goals and circumstances are different, and that's why we make sure to offer various membership options to suit your personal needs. Take a look below at some of our most popular options and their benefits:Short-Term MembershipsWhether it be a day pass, weekend pass, 1-month membership, or 3-month membership - short-term passes are an excellent choice if you are visiting the area for a short period of time, if you want to trial the gym, or if you have certain goals or milestones you wish to reach in a specific timeframe.
How To Stay Committed & Make The Most Of Your Annual Gym Membership
Committing to 12 months of fitness is a great way to kickstart your fitness journey and it also saves you some money in the long run! But, it can be difficult to stay motivated and stick to a regular gym routine over a long period of time.
Change Your Lockdown Habits & Improve Your Health This Summer
It's no secret that the national lockdowns in both 2020 and 2021 have impacted our daily lives on many levels. Huge shifts in the way we now live have completely changed the way we approach work, social gatherings, and exercise.
Ladies-Only Areas: Feel Safe & Comfortable With Dedicated Gym Spaces
We're committed to ensuring everyone feels comfortable at the gym with dedicated gym spaces! Whether it's your first time at the gym or you would simply like some privacy due to your culture or beliefs, there are many benefits Ladies-Only Gyms bring to our female members.
Welcome Gym Sutton Is Now Recruiting!
Shane Linehan, Welcome Gym Sutton’s Manager, is currently recruiting staff and would welcome passionate and approachable applicants to join his team. A job at Welcome Gym offers the chance to work in a busy, buzzing health club with training programmes and opportunities for staff to learn on the job and progress in a career in the fitness industry.
Introducing, All New 'Gym Guru Sessions'
Book a time slot to come for a 1-2-1 chat with our expert team. Set your fitness goals, plan your workouts, and get supportive advice!
10 Tips To Make Running More Comfortable & Enjoyable
Whether you're a jogging newbie or a seasoned runner it can be easy to throw in the towel when things get tough. Maybe you're stuck at a certain distance or maybe you just can't muster up the motivation to get on the treadmill or venture outdoors.
The Benefits Regular Gym Routines Have on Your Mental Health
From releasing endorphins that boost our moods to reducing the number of people suffering from mental health conditions, exercise has several optimistic benefits on our mental health. Studies conducted in the United States outlined that out of 1.
Healthy Chocolate Treats For Your Easter Sweet Tooth
Nutritionist, Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) has you covered this Easter weekend with another incredible eBook dedicated to all things chocolate! It can certainly be difficult to avoid indulging in the yummy treats that take over around the Easter weekend but that doesn’t mean you need to give them up completely.
Shh! Quiet Flat-Friendly Home Workout Tips
Now that we're all spending lots of time at home during lockdown, it's important to be mindful of your neighbours if you live in a flat. Some of them might work odd hours, have a newborn baby or they may want to just enjoy some peace and quiet in their home.
Immune System Boosters To Help Nourish Your Body
Now more than ever, it's important to make healthy choices to keep your body's natural defences strong. While boosting your immunity doesn't happen overnight (and won't necessarily prevent or cure disease), a few simple changes to your diet can help nourish your body to fight against disease-causing organisms.
5 Ways To Make Cooking At Home Easy & Stress-Free
Now that we're spending more and more time at home, we're also having to cook at home more regularly. While some of you may really enjoy popping on your apron and commanding the kitchen, for some, having to cook every meal at home can feel daunting and laborious.
5 Inventive Ways To Get Moving At Home
Even though we offer a range of equipment-free live classes for you to enjoy, we understand that some of you might not have enough space to workout at home, or you may just want to do something different instead.So we've come up with a few inventive ways to move your body at home.
Fitness Themed Quiz - Test Your Exercise & Gym Knowledge
In lockdown 1 it became a tradition amongst many households to host regular virtual quizzes, and this lockdown is no different. Meeting virtually with friends and family is something you can do to feel more connected to those you love and to help boost morale when times get a little tough.
Feeling Flexible: At-Home Stretches For Seniors
Stretching isn't only beneficial after an intense workout, it's important for people of all fitness levels and especially for those of older age groups. As we get older, our muscles tend to feel tighter, pulling on our bones making us feel stiff and more prone to injuries.
Lockdown 1, 2 & 3 - All You Need To Know
With the third national lockdown now in place, we'd like to update all our members on their memberships and explain all the benefits we are offering in return for your loyalty over the past 12 months.With each Lockdown and re-opening, we have done everything we can to offer superb value for money to our members, protect our staff, and keep safety standards high.
6 Ways To Get Outside During The Winter Lockdown
Unlike the first lockdown, we now have to endure the cold and wet - making it very unappealing to get up and go outside. It's understandable that home workouts are not for everyone, especially if you don't have space at home for it.
Online Class Timetable
We are committed to keeping you feeling the best you possibly can feel during this testing time. Your health and wellness is our focus and we will continue to deliver great home workouts for you to participate in.
Accessing Our Live Classes - A Step By Step Guide
Our team is determined to keep our members fit at home with live 'At Home' Classes on Instagram.Exercising has become an even more important part of the day along with sticking to a routine to keep us keep both mentally and physically fit for the challenges this new regime of living presents us.
Enjoy A Snack Attack With A Vegan Vibe
If for ethical or health reasons you’ve decided to try a vegan diet, you may think that snacks are a definite no-no, with a bit of imagination and planning during your weekly shop, these are all vegan-friendly snacks you can eat when you’re on the go and hunger strikes or if you need a quick boost before or after a workout.
A rice cake spread with some peanut or other nut butter.
Beating those SAD feelings through exercise
Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a type of depression that comes and goes with the change in season and is usually related to the short days, darkness and cold of winter. In its severest form, it affects up to 2% of the population, especially women and young people, but up to 20% of people experience it to some extent.
12 Days of Fitness Challenge
It's the countdown to the festive holidays and the last push before we get cosy with one too many mince pies.So from Sunday 13th December, we're inviting you to join us for our 12 Days of Fitness Challenge!
Jump In! With Our Skipping Workout
A skipping rope is one of the first pieces of fitness equipment we receive as children, masquerading as a simple toy to play with on your own or to use in those traditional playground skipping games with other kids, accompanied by rhythmic songs and chants. Most of us stop skipping when we reach adulthood, but it’s actually an excellent aid to fitness.
Lockdown 2.0 - Live Online Classes Breakdown
Our live classes for Lockdown 2.0 are fully underway for you to keep fit and moving whilst at home!
Easy Food Swaps For A Healthier Diet
Eating more healthily can be as simple as adjusting some small things which overall will make a big difference. By swapping foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt with alternatives that are equally satisfying but healthier, you can make a big difference to your diet and your overall health and wellbeing.
Throughout This 2nd Lockdown - Welcome Gym Needs Your Support
As you are aware, our Prime Minister announced a second nationwide lockdown from 5th November until 2nd December 2020. During this period, we need to temporarily close all of our facilities in line with government guidance and to support the national effort to protect our communities.
See How Safe Fitness Feels At Our Club-Wide Open Week
We're hosting a club-wide Open Week from Wed 28th October - Wed 4th November. We understand that these are very uncertain times and that you may feel apprehensive about coming back to the gym or even starting a new membership.
Tier 2 COVID Alert Level UPDATE - What You Need To Know
The UK government has announced that more areas including London will move into Alert Level Tier 2 from Saturday 17th October at 00h01. Following this recent announcement we would like to reassure our members that all of our clubs will remain open and fully operational.
Discover Our New ‘Time and Space Hours’
As many of our members start to make their way back to the gym, we’re doing everything we can to ensure every club is as safe as possible. Not to mention, still an enjoyable and motivational environment to keep fit and healthy.
Gyms Operating in Tiers 2, 3 & 4 - A Users' Guide
In line with the latest Government announcements, some of our gyms are within areas moving into Tier 4, the following summarises the changes to the rules of operation for gym facilities.Those gyms located in Tier 4 area must, unfortunately, close until further notice, this information was updated on 31st December 2020:Welcome Gym Gyms in Tier 4 - Which Must Close With Immediate Effect.
Take a Look at Our New Normal
Now that the new normal at our gyms is settling in, we wanted to give you a snapshot of how we are now operating; perhaps it will be the motivation you need to try us again and start a new path to a healthier and fitter you.Our team has been busy looking after members and showing them our new safety routines.
Useful Answers To Frequently Asked Questions!
WHAT TO EXPECTThings might feel and look different but we can’t wait to see you again at the gym. Many of you have been getting in touch via email or over our social media channels with questions, here are the answers to the most common queries we are receiving to help save you time.
Access The Gym Via Our New App
Whilst most of our colleagues have been furloughed, we have a small core team who have been tasked with making detailed plans for opening our doors safely in the future. We will be making several alterations to our management and operations procedures to help you feel safe and reassured enough to return and benefit from all of the gym facilities.
Stay Healthy & Happy During Lockdown 2.0
Nutritionist, Michele Scarr (DIP Nut CNHC mBANT) has offered us another inspiring e-Book as a gift to support your health and well-being. This time, focusing on cooking healthy take-out alternatives and super simple suppers.
Speedy Access To Welcome Gym When You're On The Go!
We’re delighted to announce the exciting news that we've launched our brand new App! As a Welcome Gym member you’re able to download our brand new mobile App to your smartphone, enabling you to access all sorts of information and to keep in close touch with your gym while you’re on the move.
Update If You Have Recently Cancelled Your Membership
Following the Government's announcement on Friday 20th March, we have closed our gyms. This is in line with the new directive announced by the Prime Minister and is supporting the national effort to suppress the spread of COVID-19 and put the health of our members and staff as our priority.
Membership Update If You Have An Annual, Off Peak Or 3 Month Membership
Following the Government's announcement on Friday 20th March, we have closed our gyms. This is in line with the new directive announced by the Prime Minister and is supporting the national effort to suppress the spread of COVID-19.
Time To Quit!
This year No Smoking Day, which was founded (rather appropriately) on Ash Wednesday 1984, falls on 11th March. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in adults around the world, and No Smoking Day is just part of a campaign to highlight the health risks associated with the habit and to help smokers to quit.
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG
Could We Persuade You To Be More Class-Conscious? This month we'd like you to support our week-long celebration of fitness classes and their important place in bringing more fun and finesse into fitness.
Coronavirus - Members Update
20th March 2020 UPDATEFollowing the government's announcement today (Friday 20th March) we will be closing our gyms for the foreseeable future and until the closure is lifted. This is in line with the new directive announced by the Prime Minister and is in the interests of supporting the national effort to suppress the spread of COVID-19 and put the health of our members and staff as our priority.
Share The Good Things In Life!
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, love and friendship and close relationships in general, from 13th - 17th February 2020 we are offering fantastic discounts on our prepaid gym memberships, to encourage both current members and local residents to bring someone they care about along to the gym, so they can travel on their fitness journey together.
Receive a 30% discount on a prepaid 3 Month gym membership – an ideal way to get started if you’re new to exercise – a long enough period to see results and short enough not to be too daunting.
Ducking & Diving Your Way To Fitness
In line with our current campaign to “Get Fighting Fit For 2020”, fitness expert and Manager at Welcome Gym Southend, Kirsty Michael, and personal trainer, Johnny Stratford, who are both keen advocates of combat training, outline below the top five benefits of Boxing Fitness classes (the photographs are from one of Johnny's recent boxing workshops at the club): - 1 Full body conditioning workout Boxing provides a useful balance between cardio and resistance training. With a combination of steady cardio and high-intensity blasts, your heart rate will be increased as you punch and move.
Join In Our Open Weekend And Get Fighting Fit In 2020!
From 24th – 27th January 2020 Welcome Gym clubs are holding an Open Weekend, when local residents and their families, as well as the friends and families of existing members, can try our facilities free of charge, and normal joining fees on our affordable Monthly gym memberships will be waived.
Just use the online code FREEDAY, which is valid from 24th – 27th January, to get a free one-day guest pass, which visitors can use that weekend.
A Squash & A Squeeze - A Seasonal Winter Recipe
A pumpkin's not just for Halloween! There are lots of pumpkins and squashes available throughout the winter months and you might like to try this recipe, using a butternut squash, which looks and tastes great and is healthy too.
Not all Sweetness And Light! - The Impact Of Sugar On Our Health
Human beings have a natural liking for sweet things, which our brains connect with the calories we need to keep us alive and provide us with energy. Breast milk is sweet and we may therefore be programmed to associate sweetness with comfort and security, as well as nourishment from our very early years.
Welcome Gym Sutton Got Some Great Gifts From Santa This Year!
As well as the £230K investment in new cardio equipment announced last month, there was quite a lot on Welcome Gym Sutton’s wish list to Santa before Christmas 2019. However, he made sure that the club’s stockings were overflowing with goodies, and we’re sure that over the coming months our lovely members will enjoy playing with all the fantastic new toys he delivered!
Get Fighting Fit For 2020 - Let's Kick That Winter Lethargy Into Touch!
Hopefully, everyone’s enjoyed the Christmas and New Year celebrations with good food and drink, great company and some well-deserved relaxation and recuperation. But now’s the time to shake off those winter blues and kick start the new decade by joining our campaign to “Get Fighting Fit For 2020”!
The Lowdown on Weightlifting and Lifting Platforms
Training with weights supercharges your body’s capacity to burn fat and build strong, lean muscle by expending energy, boosting your metabolism and stimulating your muscle fibres. Weight training will give you a more defined, muscular shape, help you stay mentally and physically fit, manage your weight, improve your self-esteem and make for a longer life.
Minestrone - A Healthy Winter Warmer
At this time of year there are lots of lovely vegetables available that are really fresh, generally cheap, full of fibre and vitamins and really good for you. Our warming and colourful minestrone soup recipe is an easy way to get your five (or ten or more) a day and it’s also suitable for vegetarians.
Give The Gift Of Health And Fitness This Christmas!
If you’re racking your brains to think of an original gift for your loved ones this year, instead of yet another novelty snowman jumper or expensive electrical gadget that they may rarely use, why not give them the gift of health and fitness with a Peak Annual gym membership at Fitness4Less?This year we suggest you give your nearest and dearest just one really useful and thoughtful gift in the shape of a Peak Annual gym membership - a gift that will last all year, rather than being forgotten in a day, and that will make 2020 their fittest year yet.
Are You A Poet But Don't Know It?
We hope that you’re enjoying our #Gympoet campaign, where we’ve tried to bring a few words of wisdom and flights of fancy into the gym environment. We hope too that it’s brought back memories of poems you’ve enjoyed in the past and prompted you to look them up and re-read them.
Your Best Buddy Could Be Your Gym Buddy!
Human beings are naturally social animals, and feeling lonely is a major cause of unhappiness and mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Interacting with other people is crucial to our personal wellbeing; it’s life affirming and gives us a sense of purpose and self worth.
Kick stress into touch!
Let’s face it - modern life is stressful. Relentlessly depressing world news, job insecurity, excessive working hours, long commutes, financial problems, dissatisfaction with our appearance, relationship issues, all conspire to make us fearful, anxious and stressed.
Weight Training - It's Not Just For The Boys!
It is now recognised by experts that aerobic exercise alone is not enough to keep you healthy and prevent bone loss and injuries. Weight training is an excellent aid to fitness and a great way to burn calories, build muscle, decrease body fat, strengthen your bones and improve your cardiovascular fitness.
On Yer Bike! Our Top Tips For Effective Spinning
As evidenced by the popularity of the recent World Cycling Championships in Harrogate, and the success of athletes like Sir Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Victoria Pendleton, British cycling is having a moment. Every weekend and on most weekdays, our roads are thronged with enthusiastic cyclists with expensive bikes, performance clothing, specialised footwear and streamlined helmets.
Looking After Your Back Inside The Gym and Out
Ever since our primitive ancestors stopped living in trees and started walking upright, the human body has evolved rather less than perfectly, and the back in particular would probably not win many awards from the Design Council. Anthropologist Jeremy DeSilva of Boston University says that our “anatomy isn’t what you’d design from scratch – evolution works with duct tape and paper clips”.
Only Girls Allowed!
For many people joining a gym can be a daunting prospect and this may be particularly true for women, for cultural, religious or purely personal reasons. Statistically, more men than women join gyms, and as government initiatives such as "This Girl Can" and an increase in media coverage of women in sport, focus on encouraging more women to take up sport and exercise, we feel it's very important to offer female only facilities in our clubs to help overcome any barriers to women's participation in physical activity.
Top Tips For Staying Safe In The Gym
Gyms are brimming with heavy pieces of exercise kit and usually pretty full of busy, active people as well, both of which may present potential hazards to the unwary. The health and safety of both gym members and staff are always a priority, and of course, there are official procedures and regulations in place to minimise the risk of accidents.
Welcome Gym Cheltenham - What's New In 2023?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2023!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Welcome Gym Chesham - What's New In 2023?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2023!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Welcome Gym Maidstone - What's New In 2023?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2023!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Welcome Gym Southend - What's New In 2023?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2023!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Welcome Gym Sutton - What's New In 2023?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2023!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Free Friends on Fridays Returns This Autumn
It’s the end of the working week; your weekend starts here, and to celebrate the start of autumn, Welcome Gym is giving you yet another reason to feel Fridaydelicious with the return of our FREE FRIENDS ON FRIDAYS offer!This means that, as a member, you can bring a friend to work out alongside you at the gym on three dates in October absolutely free of charge!
Boost Your Self-Esteem Through Exercise
“Beauty is only skin deep”, as the saying goes, and our self worth should not just hinge on what we look like. Intelligence, a sense of humour, kindness, loyalty and generosity are all qualities that make us human and make us lovable.
Exercise And Your Mental Health
The Latin phrase “mens sana in corpore sano” (a healthy mind in a healthy body) is widely quoted in the context of exercise and sport to demonstrate the theory that physical activity is essential to both our physical and mental wellbeing.Unfortunately, we have created a modern society that is out of kilter with the basic needs of both our minds and bodies.
A Handful of Top Exercises For Men
Generally speaking, both men and women can perform the same sort of exercises to achieve muscle tone and a great shape, but men may have slightly different goals and aspirations from the girls. Anyway, it’s safe to say that most blokes would rather not have man-boobs or a beer belly, and here are five great exercises, recommended by personal trainer, Tom Ward, which he particularly recommends for men who want to banish these undesirables and achieve a toned and strong physique.
Welcome Gym Cheltenham - What's New In 2022?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2022!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Welcome Gym Chesham - What's New In 2022?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2022!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Welcome Gym Maidstone - What's New In 2022?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2022!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Welcome Gym Southend - What's New In 2022?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2022!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Welcome Gym Sutton - What's New In 2022?
Gear up for an amazing year of fitness in 2022!We are committed to providing you with great levels of service and are always making developments, upgrades, and improvements to ensure your experience as a member is of the highest standard.
Gym Poet Brings Poetry In Action To Your Club
If you think poetry has nothing to do with you, think again! Poetry is in the vocabulary you use every day from Homer’s expression to “bite the dust”, John Donne’s “no man is an island”, Alexander Pope’s “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”, Milton’s “all hell broke loose” to the many well-used phrases coined by Shakespeare, such as “good riddance”, “seen better days”, “neither rhyme nor reason” and “dead as a doornail”.
Free Friends on Fridays Returns This Autumn
It’s the end of the working week; your weekend starts here, and to celebrate the start of autumn, Welcome Gym is giving you yet another reason to feel Fridaydelicious with the return of our FREE FRIENDS ON FRIDAYS offer!This means that, as a member, you can bring a friend to work out alongside you at the gym on three dates in October absolutely free of charge!
Rosie's Revitalise Review
Florence (known as Rosie) Shakoor, who’s a member at Welcome Gym Cheltenham, is one of the second group of lucky applicants chosen to participate in our transformative “Revitalise” campaign. Earlier this year, the six health clubs in the Welcome Gym chain, with its charitable status as a Community Benefit Society, appealed for people that believed their physical and mental health could be transformed by the gyms’ offer of a period of free personal training, funded by the gyms themselves.
Walk This Way - Trends For Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Walking is an activity that’s available to the majority of people and one of the easiest, cheapest and most enjoyable ways of keeping fit. The UK has an extensive network of footpaths, enabling us to explore our varied and beautiful countryside, as well as a plethora of city parks and wild areas, where we are able to roam completely free of charge.
The 5 Most Important Exercises For Female Gym-Goers
With the vast range of fitness equipment available at your gym and the bewildering variety of exercise trends and disciplines on offer, it can be difficult to see the wood for the trees and to focus on the basics, when it comes to getting fit.To get a full body workout, it’s important to perform compound movements, which involve multiple joints and muscles, and this applies equally to both men and women.
Measuring Your Fitness From Your 20s to Your 70s
For many people the traditional life expectancy of “three score years and ten” (i.e.
Living Your Best Life
"Live each day as if it were your last. Learn as if you would live forever".
On International Friendship Day - Achieve Better Results By Working Out With a Buddy!
July 30th is International Friendship Day, first proposed in the 1930s by Hallmark Cards as a marketing tool, but now adopted by many countries as a celebration of friendship and the bonds that make human beings social animals, who thrive on caring for and co-operating with others. Doing things with a friend is always twice the fun and here's one gym goer's take on why working out with your best mate could benefit you both.
Smart Fitness Hacks For Time-Strapped Women
In today's increasingly frenetic world with long commutes, work pressures and family commitments, many women feel there's little time for relaxation, leisure pursuits and keeping fit, and it’s easy for those important fitness goals to slip to the bottom of their to-do list.But how much time do we spend watching something fairly boring on TV, surfing the Net or checking our phones?
The Core Curriculum - The Importance of Learning To Strengthen Your Core Muscles
There are a number of major muscles that make up your core. These are located deep within your trunk and include the muscles in your back, your abdominals, the gluteus muscles in your buttocks and the muscles in your thighs.
Welcome Gym Southend Promotes Health and Happiness In The Community
The Welcome Gym in Southend’s Victoria Shopping Centre, like the other five clubs in this chain, is part of the Fitness Trust. This is a charitable trust, whose aim is to provide professional, high quality but inexpensive exercise facilities to promote better health choices to a broad demographic in the community that it serves.
"Slip Another Shrimp On The Barbie"... Or Perhaps You'd Prefer A Simple Lamb Kebab
Before he became famous in the role of Crocodile Dundee, Paul Hogan featured in an advert for the Australian Tourist Board, when he offered to "slip another shrimp on the barbie", to welcome American visitors “down under”. But shrimps - or rather prawns, as we usually call them in both Australia and the UK - aren’t the only things you can barbecue when you want to take advantage of the summer evenings and entertain your friends in the garden.
Fantastic Summer BBQ Idea -Tandoori Chicken With Cucumber Raita
A summer barbecue is just the best way to enjoy this time of year with friends and family, but if you are fed up with the staple burgers and hot dogs, why not try this really easy, delicious alternative? There is a lovely contrast between the seared spiced chicken and the cooling cucumber raita, which is a great combination.
Roughly speaking - a guide to the importance of dietary fibre
Current government guidelines suggest that we should be eating 30g of fibre per day, as part of a healthy diet, compared with the 18g or less that most of us consume. The modern Western diet, based on highly processed and refined foods, loaded with fats, sugar and calories, but very low in roughage, does not generally contain enough fibre to keep us healthy.
Getting A (Reasonably Healthy) Chocolate Fix
Chocolate must be one of Britain's favourite sweet treats. It tastes delicious and contains chemicals such as phenylethylamine, which can affect the brain, leading to an increase in neorotransmitters and dopamine These are mild mood elevators that our brain produces when we're happy or in love.
Christina's Top Running Tips
Cristina from Southend gives you her top running tips below! 1.
Indoors Or Out - Boost Your Summer Fitness At Our Welcome Gym June Open Weekend
From Friday 28th to Sunday 30th June, Welcome Gym clubs are holding an Open Weekend to encourage our members’ friends, work colleagues and families to come along to the gym and see how those well-intentioned New Year Resolutions to lose weight or get fit (which may not have actually started yet) could become a reality. Anyone who’s curious about gym membership is welcome to come and try out our facilities and join in the various activities that our clubs are organising over those three days, free of charge.
Mishael Aklekar Crowned Welcome Gym Member Of The Year 2019
Earlier this year, we asked for applications from and nominations for members, who had achieved something special over the past year in terms of their fitness trials and triumphs. As always, we received a huge number of inspiring, moving and uplifting stories about people who had overcome adversity, illness and the many other problems that life tends to throw at us, to become better, healthier and fitter versions of themselves.
Congratulations To Welcome Gym's Regional Members Of The Year 2019!
It’s that time of year again and we are delighted to announce the name of the Member of the Year for each of Welcome Gym’s six regional clubs. As usual, we received so many heart-warming, touching and downright inspirational stories that it was extremely difficult to come up with just one winner for each club, but we hope you’ll agree that the finalists all deserve our admiration and applause.
How To Make The Most Of A Sauna - No Sweat!
Saunas originated in Finland over 10,000 years ago, as earth pits covered with animal skins. They developed into primitive buildings with a turf roof, where rocks were heated over a log fire to provide warmth for several hours, where people could congregate.
Looking After Your Vital Organs
When we think about keeping fit, most of us focus on our external physical appearance, shape, weight, strength or muscular definition. We tend to ignore those vital bodily parts, such as our brain, heart, liver, kidneys, bladder and lungs.
The Benefits of Gardening For Physical and Mental Health
Summer’s officially here at last with longer days, some welcome sunshine and a few much-needed showers to keep our countryside, farms and gardens green, fresh and productive. Getting outside and getting stuck into some gardening can be very rewarding, and many studies have shown how it can benefit both your physical health and your mental wellbeing.
Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome - To Welcome Gym Southend!
As its name implies, you’ll always receive a warm welcome from the friendly staff at Welcome Gym Southend. Conveniently situated on the first floor of the Victoria Plaza shopping centre, with two hours free parking available to members, this light and spacious health club is the perfect place to get active, come rain or shine.
Job Opportunities at Welcome Gym Sutton
On May 1st 2019, the successful health club next to the Sutton Cricket Club on Gander Green Lane became a Welcome Gym. The aim of this expanding gym chain is to provide a friendly, affordable and welcoming facility and a broad and engaging programme of fitness activities, designed to benefit the community and to help people make healthier choices.
Grow Your Own Superfoods At Home
Nicky Roeber, Online Horticultural Expert at Wyevale Garden Centres, gives us his expert gardening advice to help you grow your own nutrient-rich superfoods.It’s easy to grow your own vegetables at home, and some of the varieties that we can grow here in the UK are extremely good for your body.
New Welcome Gym Comes To Sutton
The gym conveniently located next door to Sutton's cricket club on Gander Green Lane, is currently being refurbished, upgraded and rebranded to convert it into a new Welcome Gym, which launches on 1st May 2019. Welcome Gym is the trading name of The Fitness Trust, a not-for-profit organisation formed in 2016, whose aim is to provide professionally run, high quality and accessible gym facilities at an affordable cost.
Our May Heart2Heart Campaign
Each year since 2005, May 17th is dedicated to World Hypertension Day, which is designed to promote public awareness of high blood pressure and the part it plays in cardiovascular disease. In support of May Measurement Month, which encourages people to get their blood pressure checked with the aim of saving lives, Welcome Gym health clubs are offering free blood pressure tests between Monday 13th and Sunday 19th May 2019**.
Smart Swaps To Improve Your Diet
We all know the old adage “you are what you eat” but sometimes a hectic lifestyle means you grab whatever food comes to hand without thinking about its nutritional content. Eating well is as important as exercising regularly to stay healthy, so here are ten easy food swaps you might like to try to change fatty, high calorie and sugary foods for something that’s a bit better for your body but equally delicious.
Welcome Gym Cheltenham - The Gym That Likes To Say "You're Welcome!"
Centrally located just off the High Street in the lovely Regency town of Cheltenham and with members’ parking available close by, Welcome Gym was launched in May 2017. Not only is the club easily accessible, it’s also currently the cheapest in the area and offers amazing value for money with no compromise on the quality of its amenities.
Submit Your Nominations For Welcome Gym Member Of The Year 2019 - It Could Be You!
It’s that time of year again, when we are very pleased to announce the launch of our Welcome Gym Member Of The Year 2019 competition.This is a fantastic chance for our members to nominate themselves, a family member, friend or colleague to be recognised and rewarded as our Member Of The Year.
Welcome Gym Member of The Year Competition - Be inspired by last year's winners
The search for the Welcome Gym Member of The Year 2019 has begun, and we thought you’d be interested and maybe galvanised into nominating yourself or someone you know to win this accolade, if we updated you on some of last year’s fantastic winners.In 2018 our overall Welcome Gym Group Member of the Year was Ben Dawson from our Cheltenham club, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2014, aged only 27.
The Top 3 Benefits of Attending Classes
One of the great things about being a member of a Welcome Gym club is the huge number of group fitness classes we offer – from Apex to Zumba – which come free with your gym membership. They’re easy to book on line and you can also cancel on line if you find you can’t attend, so there’s really no reason not to take advantage of them.
Getting A Good Night's Sleep When British Summertime Begins
The clocks went forward at the beginning of April and this may have temporarily disrupted your “circadian rhythm” or internal body clock, which regulates the timing of your wakefulness and need to sleep. Getting enough sleep plays a very important part in keeping you fit and healthy by - among other things - consolidating your memories, repairing your cells, regulating your hormones and resting your body.
Supercharge Your Diet With Raw Foods
If you’re someone that enjoys biting into a crisp apple or a crunchy carrot freshly pulled from the ground or eating peas straight from the pod, there’s some good news for you. Incorporating more raw foods into your diet may boost your intake of beneficial nutrients and improve your health.
Enjoy a Pool Based Workout!
We know some of you are looking for a challenging, new, all over body workout, but have you ever thought of using a swimming pool to complete it? Our assistant manager at our gym and swim club in Maidstone, Simon Ottaway, is ready to show you how to get the best out of a low impact pool based workout!
Revitalise Personal Training Offers
Hopefully you have been keeping track of our PT revitalise competition winners, who received 3 free personal training sessions per week across 4 weeks, to help start them on the road to achieving their health and fitness goals. They've made such amazing progress.
Meet Kellie Shirley One Of Our Revitalise Transformation Winners!
Grace Birch our PT from Chesham tells us a bit more about her new client and how they've gone about getting Kellie the results she is looking for.'My Client is Kellie Shirley from Chesham.
Free Friends On Fridays Festival
Over the last year we have run a couple of Free Friends On Fridays promotions, giving our members the chance to bring a friend, partner or work colleague along to the gym on the last day of the working week, to try out the facilities and some of our classes absolutely free of charge.This initiative proved to be so popular that we've decided to hold a FFOF mini festival from Thursday 21st until Saturday the 23rd March, opening up the opportunity for you and any friends and family members to enjoy the gym for free.
Harriet's Marathon Journey
My name is Harriet and I’m taking on the challenge of running the London Marathon on 28th April 2019. I’ve been a member of Welcome Gym for 10 years now and normally train around 3/4 times a week, doing a mixture of cardio and weights.
Digestive Health & Fermented Foods - What's Your Gut Reaction?
Long before the advent of canning and freezing, people used the process of fermentation to preserve fresh produce from summer gluts to be used in the winter months, when food was scarce. Although fermented foods are centuries old, many experts are now hailing them as “superfoods”, which are believed to improve our gut health, aid digestion, boost our immune systems and help us maintain a healthy weight.
Lucas Owen - Cheltenham PT
Hi my name is Lucas and I'm here to help Chris reach his fitness goals and push him beyond them! Working together, we’ll complete training sessions that are both challenging and fun, to help him achieve his targets.
Joel Whippman - Cheltenham PT
Hi, my name is Joel Whippman. I have been a personal trainer, dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals for over two years.
Mac Zishiri - Cheltenham PT
Hi my name is Mac, and I believe you do not need to be an athlete to train like one and you don't need to a solider to be as fit as one. I look to provide challenging and exciting workouts to give my clients very quick results.
Johnny Stratford - Southend PT
Hi I'm Johnny, and I can't wait to get started working with James on this transformation programme. When my clients are looking to achieve a complete transformation, both physically and mentally, we work together to set and achieve new goals that they never dreamed possible.
Lauryn Dublin - High Wycombe PT
Hi, my name is Lauryn and I'm a personal trainer at Welcome Gym High Wycombe. If my clients are looking to lose weight, build muscle, improve their strength or cardiovascular fitness, I love to guide and motivate them and help them achieve their goals - whether short or long term.
Grace Birch - Chesham PT
Hi, my name is Grace. I'm currently studying for a PhD in immunology - looking at the role of natural killer cells in Multiple Sclerosis.
Adam Robertson - Chesham PT
Hi, I'm Adam and I specialise in high intensity training, both cardio and weight based. I also have in depth knowledge when it comes to nutrition and weight management to help my clients reach their ideal body type.
Rachel Clark - Maidstone PT
My name is Rachel and I am a Level 3 Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer at Welcome Gym Maidstone. I am a strong believer that health and fitness is about making you feel positive, both physically and mentally.
James ONeil - Maidstone PT
Hi, my name is James and I am a Level 3 Qualified REPs Personal Trainer at Welcome Gym Maidstone.As you will see during the next couple of weeks, I like to keep my sessions fun and varied.
Matt Hazell - Chesham PT
Hi, I'm Matt and I am a very keen and versatile sportsman. I play competitive basketball to a high standard and am also a former martial arts black belt.
Our REVITALISE Free Personal Training Project Is Now Underway - Meet The Winners!
As part of our current Refresh, Revitalise, Relax campaign, we asked Welcome Gym members to tell us why they deserved to win the chance to enjoy three personal training sessions a week for a whole month with some of our expert in-house P.T.
27th/28th February - FLASH SALE - Two Days Only!
As February 2019 comes to a close and we “March” ahead into spring, now’s a great time to start getting fit and healthy in preparation for the longer, hopefully warmer summer days ahead.With this in mind, Welcome Gyms are holding a 48 hour FLASH SALE from Wednesday 27th to Thursday 28th February with a “Join For Free” offer on our popular Direct Debit gym memberships.
Take Time To Relax..
This month, we’re concentrating on “The Three Rs” – Revitalise, Refresh and Relax - and it’s important that you take time out to incorporate the last of these in a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.Modern lives tend to be frenetic – full of activity, deadlines, stress and worry – and rest and recuperation are essential in allowing your mind and body to recharge and avoid mental health problems and physical exhaustion.
5 Simple Ways To Refresh Your Workout
Every now and then, a regular workout routine can turn into a mundane and boring practice, so it’s important to switch things up to not only keep you on your toes, but to also bring the zest back that’ll keep you engaged, focused and set back on track towards your goals! Here’s 5 ways to get that magic back and refresh your sessions!
Sprint Start Returns!
This spring we're re-launching a special six-week membership package, which will harness the mood of optimism, motivation and determination that most people feel with the promise of warmer weather and longer days. Called “Sprint Start”, this special short-term gym membership puts you in the best possible position to make a determined effort to achieve your goals and become fitter and healthier in one concentrated burst.
Could Fitness Mentoring Revitalise & Transform Your Life?
As part of our New Year Revitalise, Refresh and Relax campaign, we are giving some lucky members from our Welcome Gyms the chance to be mentored by one of our team of professional personal trainers free of charge for three sessions a week over a four week period!
Are you a member of a Welcome Gym?
Everyone's Welcome To Our Open Weekend Jan 25th - 27th!
From 25th – 27th January, Welcome Gyms are holding an Open Weekend to encourage our members and their friends and families to come along to the gym and see how they could make those well-intentioned New Year resolutions to lose weight or get fit (which may have fallen by the wayside!) into a reality.
Finding Yoga
I have worked in the fitness industry since my early twenties and this has enabled me to try many different forms of exercise, but I found yoga fairly late. I must admit my previous stereotypical ideas were that yoga was just a bit of stretching and posing!
A Third Of The Cost Of A Delivery Pizza And 3 Times The Taste!
Just look at this mouthwatering pizza! It costs around just £3.
Winter Warming Recipe - Maple & Mustard Pork Tenderloin
This simple dish is quick to prepare. It's a ’one-pot’ roast, which makes for just a little washing up.
The Taste Of Christmas - In A Smoothie
What could be better at this time of year than a taste of Christmas without the downsides. This smoothie has lots of Christmas Cheer but it is actually good for you!
Gym & Tonic - The Hidden Calories in Festive Cheer!
It’s that time of year when some of us are starting to think about Christmas parties. At a time when many of us drink more alcohol than we do during the rest of the year, do you know the hidden calories in your favourite drinks?
Festive Treat With A Healthier Twist
Few of us can resist the seasonal favourite mince pie. Our version is a fraction healthier than the traditional variety, and your own mincemeat is suprisingly easy to make.
Free Friends on Fridays returns!
It’s the end of the working week; your weekend starts here, and now Welcome Gym is giving you yet another reason to feel Fridaylicious with the return of Free Friends on Friday.On 16th November 2018, we’re re-launching our “Free Friends on Friday” promotion, which means you can bring a friend along to work out alongside you absolutely free of charge!
Finding You are Avoiding The Gym? - How To Stay Motivated In Winter
Winter is fast approaching with shorter days and plunging temperatures, and our natural instinct is to hunker down, keep warm and make a beeline for some comfort food. Like Eliza Doolittle in the musical, My Fair Lady, we might dream about “one enormous chair”, “lots of chocolates” and “lots of fire making lots of heat … sitting abso-bloomin'-lutely still”.
Bonfire Night Food With A Healthier Twist
Everyone enjoys a Guy Fawkes party, especially eating out of doors round a bonfire with friends, with sparkling fireworks lighting up the night sky, dispelling thoughts of the short days and long, cold nights ahead. And Bonfire Night food needn’t just consist of greasy burgers and bangers, toffee apples and sticky ginger parkin.
Plate Up For The Planet - Could You Go Vegan?
1st November is World Vegan Day, established in 1994 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vegan Society, and now held annually at a time of year associated with the harvest and feasting. Interest in veganism is skyrocketing, with almost 3.
New Fitness Fads - What Our Managers Say!
Fitness Fads come and go, but some of the new trends do stick around and can be a really great motivator or a fun activity to introduce into your lifestyle. So we thought we would ask a couple of our club managers what they think about 2018's hottest new fitness trends!
Popular Myth 2: You Need To Be Fit Already To Attend Fitness Classes
Many people may be reluctant to join fitness classes, as they are worried that they’ll be full of super-fit, experienced athletes (the sort of people you see in promotional videos), who know exactly what they are doing, and that it will be impossible to keep up with them.The truth is that classes are designed for everyone, from absolute beginners to more experienced gym-goers.
Popular Myth 1 : You need to be really experienced & coordinated to participate in fitness classes
When you first join a gym, perhaps without a great deal of knowledge about exercise, you might believe that you’re too inexperienced, not fit enough or not sufficiently coordinated to join in fitness classes.This is a common misapprehension.
Popular Myth 3 : Fitness Classes Are Not Just "Girls Allowed"
There are various popular misconceptions about fitness classes, the first being that they are designed “just for women”. Maybe it’s because of distant memories of films such as “Perfect”, where John Travolta was the only man in a class full of women; maybe there were more female class teachers?
Group Exercise a New Challenge
We're laying down the gaunlet - if you've never tried a group fitness class before, we challenge you to just try one (or two) to spice up your routine, add variety to your workouts and extend your exercise repertoire.So why not take the plunge and give it a go?
Find Our How Personal Training Can Help You Meet Your Goals.
Well done, you’ve now made it to Week 3 of your Welcome Gym membership. We hope the time has flown by, that you’re really enjoying your visits to the club and that you’re already feeling the benefits of taking time out to make a serious commitment to your personal fitness.
Tell Your Story...
You've been a member of Welcome Gym for several weeks now, and we hope that you're starting to look forward to your visits to the gym and to working out with a whole new group of friends and acquaintances. We’re sure you don’t regret your decision to take up gym membership and to regularly set some time aside to focus on your personal health and fitness.
"Class of 2018" Promotion - A Celebration of Fitness Classes.
To promote the huge benefits that result from working out in a group, we’re throwing down the gauntlet to challenge all Welcome Gym members, plus their friends and families, to try some of our fantastic range of fitness classes in our “Class of 2018” campaign, which runs from 22nd to 28th October.As well as encouraging existing members to participate in classes, during this period anyone can try out the gym free of charge and take part in some of our fitness classes, subject to availability.
Chiropractic Explained
My name’s Alun Walker, and as well as being a member of Welcome Gym High Wycombe, I’m a Doctor of Chiropractic, a treatment where a practitioner or chiropractor uses his hands to help relieve problems with bones, muscles and joints. My profession, some of the areas I cover in my work and the benefits of chiropractic are outlined below: -What Is Chiropractic?
Give Group Fitness A Go
We expect that all our new members have settled into the gym, familiarised yourselves with our equipment, got to know some of our lovely staff, and made lots of new friends to accompany you on your journey, dedicated to improving your personal health and fitness. We hope that, especially if you’re a newcomer, you now feel more comfortable in the gym environment and that you’re enjoying your visits to the club.
Plan for Exercise as well as for Lectures!
I remember that even as a University student studying sport, I found it hard to think about fitting in exercise beyond my course. It took me time to think about how I could fit everything in.
Fitting In Fitness For Freshers!
Finding time to exercise while you’re studying is very important. Hunching over a computer terminal or sitting through long lectures can mean you’re very sedentary, and exercise will not only keep you fit, but will also help relieve stress and anxiety and boost your mental wellbeing and energy levels.
Eating Well at Uni
Everything’s new, exciting (and daunting too) when you start at university – moving away from home for the first time, mixing with new people, worries about your course, and concerns about your student loan and how to make it stretch as far as possible. Eating properly may be the last thing on your mind, but it’s very important to make sure you get a varied, healthy diet within your limited budget.
The Upside Of Being An Empty Nester
This is the time of year when many young adults leave home for the first time to take up places at universities and colleges, perhaps at some distance away. It is quite normal for parents to experience some sense of loss and emptiness as their children take that great step into the unknown, towards independence and adulthood.
New Member Essentials
We’re very pleased that you’ve joined one of our affordable, accessible and well-equipped gyms, and decided to become more proactive in making your personal health and fitness an important part of your lifestyle. Whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who’s reached a plateau and needs to re-focus their efforts to reach their fitness goals, we’re looking forward to helping and encouraging you during your membership and following your progress over the coming months.
Healthy Food For Freshers
If you’re a student who has just left home to start a university or college course, you may be experiencing a whole range of emotions – excitement about the adventures that lie ahead and trepidation about managing on your own for the first time.You now have total responsibility for your own wellbeing, which can be rather daunting, but there are things you can do to make sure you look after yourself, eat well and get enough exercise without swallowing up the whole of your student loan in the first week.
Safe Handling, Storage and Cooking of Food
Healthy eating is normally about finding delicious 'good for you' foods, which will tempt your appetite and fuel your body for exercise, to support your healthy lifestyle. However, in this article we look at another side of healthy eating - avoiding unwelcome illness - so read on for a few tips on how to make sure that you are storing and handling your food in a safe and healthy way.
Very Berry Muffins
It’s September and the start of changes in the seasons. At this time of year, gardens and markets are laden with ripe fruits and berries – plums and peaches, apples and pears, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and the last of the cherries.
Healthier, No-Bake Granola Bars
Granola bars are a popular snack when you’re pressed for time or need a quick energy-boost after a workout. However, the commercially available ones tend to be expensive and loaded with a surprising amount of refined sugar, so may not be as healthy as you think.
The Pros and Cons of the Paleo Diet
According to proponents of the Paleolithic diet, including some medical experts and celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, we should be eating like our caveman ancestors. The theory goes that our digestive systems have not evolved to cope with the modern diet, loaded as it is with low-fibre, high fat, high sugar and highly processed foods.
What's On At Your Club - National Fitness Day With Welcome Gym!
National Fitness Day, which this year falls on Wednesday 26th September, is a UK-wide celebration of the fun that fitness and physical activity can offer in helping us to lead healthier lives. “Strictly Come Dancing” judge, Darcy Bussell, is kick-starting the day in central London with a morning dance fitness workout, and there are lots of other fitness-related events for the public to join in with happening throughout the country.
Make The Most of Your Welcome Gym Membership
Gym membership at Welcome Gym represents extremely good value for money. For far less than the cost of a daily coffee, we offer a great range of equipment, a clean and vibrant space and friendly staff, all dedicated to the important cause of helping you get fit and healthy.
Exercise During Pregnancy
If you’re expecting a baby for the first time, you may be a little concerned about whether it’s safe to continue exercising and if so, which types of exercise are most beneficial while you are pregnant.Remember, pregnancy is a perfectly natural physical process and current NHS advice is that, as long as your health is generally good, the more fit and active you are during pregnancy, the less likely you are to gain excess weight or suffer complications.
Week 5: Well Done, Sprint Start Members - Here's A Little Treat For You!
We’re extremely impressed that you Sprint Start members have stayed the course and are now nearing the end of your six-week gym membership, specifically designed to kick-start your resolution to prioritise your health and fitness. We know it may not have been easy, so well done for joining up to this initiative and for the effort and dedication you have shown so far!
Hands Up If You Love Fridays - Our FFOF Offer Will Make Them Even More Fun!
It’s the end of the working week; your weekend starts here, and now Welcome Gym is giving you yet another reason to feel Fridaylicious!Free Friends On Fridays promotion, which means you can bring a friend along to work out alongside you absolutely free of charge!
Week 3 Sprint Start - Ask an Expert
If you’re embarking on week 3 of our special six-week Sprint Start gym membership, you’re almost half way through. We hope the time has flown by, that you’re really enjoying your visits to the gym and that you’re already feeling the benefits of taking time out to make a serious commitment to your personal fitness.
Week 2: Make The Most Of Your Sprint Start Membership
We expect that all you Sprint Start members have settled into the gym, familiarised yourselves with our equipment, got to know some of our lovely staff, and made lots of new friends to accompany you on your 6-week journey, dedicated to maximising your efforts to improve your fitness. We hope that, especially if you’re a newcomer, you now feel more comfortable in the gym environment and that you’re enjoying your visits to the club.
Week 1: New Sprint Start Members - Ready, Steady, Go!
If you’ve signed up to our special “Sprint Start” six-week gym membership – welcome! We’re very pleased that you’ve taken this great opportunity to make Spring 2019 a designated time when you really concentrate on your personal health and fitness.
Pick Up A (Healthy) Picnic
It is not only our favourite Yogi Bear that likes a “pic-a-nic”! With the fresh air sharpening your appetite and the company of good friends and family creating a happy atmosphere, a picnic can be a simple summer pleasure that everyone loves.
On Your Marks For Our New Summer Sprint Start Membership!
This summer we are launching a special summer membership, which will harness the mood of optimism, motivation and determination that most people feel with the advent of warmer weather and longer days. Called “Sprint Start”, this special short-term gym membership which puts you in the best possible position to feel fitter and achieve your goals.
HIIT Classes Unravelled.
’High Intensity Interval Training’ is one of the top fitness trends, but what is it all about and why is it so beneficial? Read on to find out more…This kind of training technique is based on the concept of giving one hundred per cent effort for a short period of time, in a quick and intense burst of exercise.
Ben Dawson from Cheltenham Crowned Welcome Gym Member of the Year 2018!
As a fit young man of just 27, in 2014 Ben Dawson was diagnosed with leukaemia. Sadly, some of the life-saving treatments he received resulted in a catalogue of other extremely serious medical setbacks.
Are You Looking for A New Challenge?
Welcome Gym, a new small chain of affordable, friendly gyms are currently looking to recruit a number of self-employed personal trainers to join their friendly teams. Welcome Gym run five clubs nationwide, which all feature spacious gyms fitted with the latest equipment, airy class studios, separate spin bike studios and generous free weights areas.
Some Healthy Little Snacks For When The Munchies Strike
We all know that feeling; breakfast was ages ago, lunch is still on the distant horizon, but you are just a bit hungry, and you get a craving for a snack – an attack of the Munchies. Research suggests that snacking may help control your appetite.
Easy Ways To Get To Your 10k Steps Per Day
Modern life has made us all increasingly sedentary – hunched in front of computers, slumped in front of the TV or sitting for hours on car journeys and commutes. Walking is an easy form of exercise and no special equipment is needed, apart from comfortable, supportive shoes.
Go Totally Tomatoes!
“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
Our Top 4 Exercises For Diabetes
It is widely published that there are currently over 3.2 million people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes.
Soy Salmon Fish - A Perfect Summer Dish!
Salmon is one of the best types of fish you can eat, as it is rich in Omega 3, a nutrient that helps brain function and your nervous system. Fats found in salmon are responsible for many cardiovascular benefits and when eaten two to three times per week, salmon can protect you from problems such as heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia and high blood pressure.
Suspension Training - A New Way To Train!
Suspension training (or TRX) is a great alternative way of completing body weight-based exercises that can be varied, challenging and even fun! So, if you're aiming to increase your physical performance and core strength or generally looking for something different, add these five exercises next time you’re at the gym.
Southend - Member Of The Year
It is our pleasure to announce the Welcome Gym Southend Member Of The Year is... Alex Churchyard.
Cheltenham - Member Of The Year
Huge congratulations to Ben Dawson, our Member Of The Year at Welcome Gym Cheltenham. Ben was nominated by his wife, Emilie, who told us all about his inspirational story.
Swimming and how it can help Asthma Sufferers
There is currently no cure for asthma, but in recent years treatments have been developed to relieve asthma symptoms and reduce the risk of an attack. If asthma is well controlled, sufferers should be able to exercise, have fun and keep fit.
International Gardening Week - Even If You Don't Have A Garden!
We've been promoting the benefits of gardening and growing your own fruit and veg but not all of us are lucky enough to have the outside space to set up a veg patch. Never fear, here are some inspiring ideas with no garden required!
Soft Drinks - Sugar Explained!
If you are an avid gym goer, or you get your daily exercise from walking, running or playing a sport, then you will probably watch what you eat as well. You will be used to looking at calories, fat content and sugar levels in different foods.
Corporate Open Day 18th April 2018
We aim to support business large and small in creating a healthy workplace for their staff. With this in mind, we have been running a campaign aimed at employers with businesses local to Welcome Gyms, encouraging them and their staff to take up gym membership as a healthy counterbalance to their working lives.
Bake Your Own!
Bread is a very simple food, using only three main ingredients – flour, water and yeast – yet it can vary hugely in quality, flavour and nutritional value. The Chorleywood process, introduced in the 1960s, enabled the fast mass production of bread, using lower-protein, highly refined flour with a number of enzymes and additives.
Easy Stretches At Your Desk
Aches, pains and repetitive strain injuries don’t just happen to people in manual occupations. If you’re an office worker that spends hours every day sitting at a desk, using a keyboard and doing the same tasks repeatedly, you can develop poor posture and serious musculoskeletal disorders.
How To Help Stub Out Your Smoking Habit
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK, increasing the risk of developing more than 50 serious conditions, including cancer and heart disease. By smoking around your family, and especially your children, you can jeopardise their health too.
Don't Forget - Your Brain Needs To Keep Fit Too!
1. Eat A Balanced DietIt’s not just your body that needs a balanced, healthy diet to keep fit and well.
Everyone is Welcome at Welcome Gym Maidstone This Easter!
From Thursday 29th March until Tuesday 3rd April 2018, the Maidstone branch of Welcome Gym is opening its doors to existing members, their friends and family and anyone else that would like to come along, to try out the club’s facilities absolutely free of charge!Even if you’re away for the Bank Holiday weekend, you need not miss out, as the offer extends from the Thursday before to the Tuesday after the Easter break.
Welcome Gym Maidstone's A Fitter Place To Get Fit!
The new Welcome Gym in Maidstone is undergoing a major overhaul, from the laying of new Tarmac in the car park, to the installation of new flooring, doors, ceilings and lighting inside the club. The swimming pool is receiving an up-to-the-minute air-handling system and renovations to the environment are also in the pipeline.
Member Of The Year... Could It Be You?
We are thrilled to announce the launch of Welcome Gym Member Of The Year 2018.This is a fantastic chance for our members to nominate themselves, a friend or family member to be recognised and rewarded as our Member Of The Year.
How Yoga Can Combat Stress
Let’s face it; life can be stressful - trying to juggle our busy lives, work and family with a constant stream of digital media and news. To compound this, intrusive and negative thoughts can exacerbate our feelings of anxiety and depression.
Power Breakfasts To Keep Your Tank Fuelled Up Til Lunchtime
Were often told “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” but the wrong breakfast choices - sugary cereals or toast made from sliced white bread, for example - are low in fibre, lacking in nutritional value and can leave your tummy rumbling by 11am. This can lead to mid-morning snacking on whatever comes easily to hand to stave off those niggling hunger pangs and quite often that ‘thing’ is not the healthiest choice.
Is it A Bird, Is It A Plane... No It's A SuperFood!
“Superfoods” are foods that are particularly rich in nutrients, which experts consider to be particularly beneficial when incorporated into a healthy diet. These foods are good sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre, which are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease, memory loss and other health problems.
Celebrate Chinese New Year - Cook Up Some Chicken Noodle Soup
This recipe is so easy and quick, you must try it. It's all cooked in one pot for minimum hassle and very little mess.
Pancakes - They Are Flippin Delicious!
We’ve been dreaming up ways to make pancakes a bit healthier, so you can enjoy this age-old custom without feeling too guilty. Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (fat Tuesday) is celebrated in many countries throughout the world with extravagant carnivals and feasting.
Chickpea Pancake With Avocado And Sundried Tomatoes
Yes this is a pancake! It is sugar free, but that does not mean it is not still delicious.
Florentine Pizza
Our classic Florentine pizza recipe combines tangy tomatoes, silky spinach and perfectly cooked eggs on a crisp, home-made base - delicious served with a side salad for lunch or supper. It’s not only a fresher, healthier and cheaper alternative to a shop-bought pizza, but it’s surprisingly easy and fun to make.
Give Your Valentine The Gift of Fitness
Valentine's Day, a festival dedicated to romance, love and friendship, falls on Wednesday 14th February. At this time of year, when winter seems never-ending, we humans are glad of an excuse to celebrate with a scattering of scarlet hearts, a bottle of bubbly and a candlelit dinner for two.
The First Chapter In Your New Start..
The story of our lives is not fixed. It can change, either through circumstances, events, good or bad luck or through our own determination, ambition and drive.
Top Tips For Beginner Spinners!
Sometimes the idea of trying a spin class can seem a little scary and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Spin is a great low impact workout that is great for cardiovascular fitness, helps lower stress levels and increases muscular endurance.
Peckish? - Healthier Options At Your Favourite Restaurant Chains
If you want to enjoy a meal after your workout, however, you don’t want to undo all the benefits that your exercise routine has achieved by indulging in a high-fat, calorific fast food fix that won’t really nourish the body you’re trying so hard to look after. We wanted to help point you in the right direction, when chosing from some of the most popular high street restaurant menus.
Winter Salad - Give it A Try
Salads can definitely work for you in the winter, and this one is a delicious flavour packed treat. It's yummy warm or cold, so save any left overs and then pack a portion into a Tupperware container for the next day.
From Zero to Hero - Health & Fitness From Scratch
Perhaps you are just the same as I am..someone who used to take part in lots of exercise at school and college and who has suddenly realised it has now been 10 or more years since I have done any proper exercise.
Sleep & Exercise....The lowdown!
After an exhausting Christmas and New Year with all its shopping, feasting and partying, the Festival of Sleep Day on 3rd January might be a new cause for celebration, of which you may have been previously unware. This unofficial holiday doesn't give you carte blanche to indulge in a duvet day or nod off over your desk if you're supposed to be back at work, but it does draw attention to the importance of sleep, which goes hand-in-hand with regular exercise, in keeping you fit and healthy.
Cleanse & Detox - Pineapple, Coconut And Ginger Smoothie
Try this super smoothie with delicious pineapple, coconut and ginger. Detoxing your body has 5 major health benefits:Helps remove toxins from the body and liverReduces inflammationPromotes healthy brighter skinClears your digestive systemGives you a bit of energy and va va voom!
Worried About A History Of Heart Disease In Your Family?
It’s something that only hits you at tough times, a spell of illness, discovering a medical issue or a when a sad occurance happens in the family - that realisation that heredity does have a part to play in your future health. According to the British Heart Foundation, if you have a family history of heart disease, unfortunately, you carry an increased risk of also developing cardiovascular diseases such as angina, heart failure and stroke.
Surviving The Office Party With Your Health, Fitness and Reputation Intact!
It is that time of year again – you’ve been invited to the office party and you want to wow your colleagues with your amazing dress sense, sparkling personality and your incredible dance moves. You also don’t want to make the party season an excuse to let your health and fitness regime slip, after months of hard work in the gym.
We love you Megan - You're a Star!
In line with our festive theme of all focusing on the things we love, we thought we’d give one of our special fitness instructors, Megan Haggar, the recognition she deserves for her contribution towards making our Southend Welcome Gym so vibrant and successful. Our members often send us positive feedback about Megan, these are just a few of the recent comments we have received about her...
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
It’s that time of year again, when we’re all trying desperately to think of a present we can give to someone special, that’s original, thoughtful and that they don’t own already! So, this year why not give that special person the gift of good health, in the shape of an Annual gym membership - a gift that will last all year, rather than being swiftly forgotten.
Busy Mum? How To Find Some Time For You!
Being a busy mother can feel like being a Jack-of-all trades with your life a constant whirl of activity, trying to fit in a job, domestic chores, food shopping, cooking and ferrying the kids to school and their many play-dates, parties and other social activities. It’s very hard to fit in time just to relax and find some “me time”, let alone finding time to exercise and make sure you keep fit and healthy yourself.
5 Tips To Help You Deal With Diabetes
Living with a condition like diabetes can be extremely difficult and sometimes even debilitating, so we’ve come up with five digestible pointers to try and help you manage your lifestyle a little better.Tip #1: Eat the right food!
Try Out Our 2 New Apex Classes!
Great News! We are launching 2 brand new APEX classes.
Open House At Welcome Gym
From Friday 27th until Sunday 29th October, when the clocks go back and British Summertime officially ends, Welcome Gym is holding an Open House event to encourage members’ families, friends and work colleagues to make 2017 the winter when they decide not to just hibernate but to commit to get fit!The doors of all Welcome Gym clubs will be open to everyone, from those that would just like a tour to have a look at the facilities or those who would like to try out the gym completely free of charge.
Eating Well at Uni
Everything’s new, exciting (and daunting too) when you start at university – moving away from home for the first time, mixing with new people, worries about your course, and concerns about your student loan and how to make it stretch as far as possible. Eating properly may be the last thing on your mind, but it’s very important to make sure you get a varied, healthy diet within your limited budget.
Fitting In Fitness For Freshers!
Finding time to exercise while you’re studying is very important. Hunching over a computer terminal or sitting through lectures can mean you’re very sedentary, and exercise will help relieve stress and anxiety, keep you fit and boost your mental wellbeing and energy levels.
No Time? No Excuse!
The most common excuse for not going to the gym is perceived lack of time. We all lead busy lives nowadays with long working hours, commutes, family duties and chores to fit in.
2 Brand New Apex Classes!
Have you ever heard of Apex gym floor classes? If not, we want to tell you more about this new style of gym floor class, which is available at our clubs, especially our 2 newly-launched Apex sessions - FUSION and RELEASE.
Benefits Of Breakfast
Breakfast is regarded by many nutritionists as the most important meal of the day. When you get up in the morning, you probably haven’t eaten for at least twelve hours, so when you consume your first meal, you’re literally “breaking your fast” and providing your body with the fuel and nutrients it needs to function efficiently.
The Breakfast of Champions
Having established that eating breakfast is the most important meal of the day here are a few suggestions for quick, easy and healthy breakfasts: -
Bircher muesli. Newly trendy but originally introduced around 1900 by the Swiss physician, Maximilian Bircher-Benner, this can be prepared the night before, so is super-speedy to eat in the morning.
Five Unexpected Benefits From Using a Personal Trainer
Even if you’re a regular gym-goer, working out on your own does not always result in the achievements and physical improvements that you may have envisaged. Even if you persuade a best mate to train alongside you to liven things up and encourage you to visit the gym more regularly, you might reach a plateau, where you don’t really seem to be making positive advancements to your fitness.
12 Great Reasons to Join for 12 Months
If you are seeking a really affordable place to exercise, Welcome Gym offers a great solution, and with our exclusive annual membership offer this bank holiday, it is the best time ever to sign up. We are No.
Ascend To Your Personal Fitness Peak
Endorsed by Olympic champion, Dame Kelly Holmes, the Apex gym floor exercise series represents a leap forward in innovative gym workouts, designed to help you reach your personal best, whatever your fitness level, if personal training is not an option for you. If you’ve noticed Apex classes on the timetable and are wondering what they entail, they are instructor-led, 30-minute long, intense training sessions with numbers limited to about twelve participants.
Delicious Cacao Nib & Sour Cherry Bar
This nutritious granola bar is a healthy pre or post work out snack. It's very simple to make with little or no cooking skills required.
Luring The Kids Away From Screens This Summer!
The school summer holidays have arrived and you’ve got to find things to do with the kids for 6 weeks! The temptation is to let them spend hours inside on their phones, games consoles and watching TV.
How To Avoid Returning From Your Holiday With Excess Baggage!
You’re really looking forward to your summer holiday, and have spent all year working hard in the gym and passing up on the chips and chocolate, so that you feel good about your body. You want to enjoy the sun, sea, sand and sangria, as well as the delicious, exotic food on offer but you don’t want to come home having piled on the pounds and feeling like a beached whale (apparently 60% of us put on an average 5lbs during a two-week break).
Grow Your Own Five (Or More) A Day
We all know food is just as important as exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. The ’5-A Day’ message is widely known and encourages us to incorporate as many fruits and vegetables into our diet as possible, and what better way to do this than to grow your own?
Spiralized Corgette Carbonara
A spiralizer is an inexpensive gadget and good gift for someone who enjoys cooking. Essentially it turns fresh veg into noodles, and gives you lots of opportunities for introducing more vegetables into your diet.
Five Reasons You Will See More Results if You Work Out With a Friend!
A lot of people work out alone; I am one of them and with so much to cram into a day, sometimes it’s just more convenient only having to worry about me. But...
Try Something Different And Give An Apex Class A Go..
With the launch of our brand new 30 minute Apex gym floor classes across our fitness clubs, we asked 2 students from Cheltenham to answer some questions about why they joined the gym and what they thought of these new classes! But first… what are Apex Classes?
Challenging The Myths Around Lower Back Pain & Exercise
Back pain is commonA total of 84% of people worldwide will experience back pain during their lifetime. It is equally common across all age groups, from young to old, and it doesn't get worse with age.
It Is Easier To Exercise In The Summer! - Myth or Truth?
Most people start off the New Year with great intentions of regularly exercising throughout the year, but after a couple of months this motivation can wane. Is it possible that the dark mornings and evenings influence our motivation to leave the house and get exercising?
Our Healthy Drink on a Stick For Long Hot Days
When the weather’s hot and sticky, the tinkling chimes of the ice cream van make even grown-ups think nostalgically of licking a lovely, fruity ice lolly to help them cool down. But why not make your own more healthy and delicious lollies and ices at a fraction of the cost of shop-bought ones?
Your Ultimate Post Workout Smoothie
We’re always being urged to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day and for many people this can be difficult. It can definately be more tempting to reach for a bar of chocolate or packet of crisps than to choose an apple, orange or carrot.
A 15 Minute Partner Based Workout - Intermediate Level
Let’s face it – it’s easy for a training routine in the gym to become a little stagnant and for you to lose heart if you keep doing the same thing over and over again. Not only will it hinder your performance and your potential to achieve some exceptional results, but it can also lead to you becoming disillusioned with your gym routine, full stop.
Florentine Pizza
Our classic Florentine pizza recipe combines tangy tomatoes, silky spinach and perfectly cooked eggs on a crisp, home-made base - delicious served with a side salad for lunch or supper. It’s not only a fresher, healthier and cheaper alternative to a shop-bought pizza, but it’s surprisingly easy and fun to make.
Task 7: Cook a Healthy Eating Recipe – And Share It on Facebook
Of course, healthy eating is a very important part of keeping in good physical condition. Food is not just fuel; it contains a complex range of nutrients that feed our bodies, helping us to attain or retain a healthy weight, renew tissues, build muscle, avoid infection and keep a clear skin and shiny hair.
TASK 6: Try a Class on Your Join, Like Learn Journey Challenge.
If you’ve never tried one of our classes, throw caution to the winds and give it a go (maybe take along a gym buddy for moral support). If you do attend classes, try one that you’ve never considered before - you’ll probably enjoy it!
Phew! You Made It!
Congratulations! You started in early May, it’s now nearing the end of June, and you’ve reached your destination – the end of the Welcome Gym Join, Like, Learn Six Week Challenge.
Trainers At The Ready!
Jog Down to Our Open Weekend Sat 24th/Sun 25th JuneAs the culmination of this summer’s Join, Like, Learn Challenge, Welcome Gyms are holding a celebratory Open Weekend from 24th to 25th June.So bring along your friends and family to have a look round the gym, watch demonstrations of some of the huge range of fitness classes we offer, and chat to our team of fitness instructors and personal trainers.
Chia Seed Pudding and Blueberry Compote
Chia seeds come from a plant called Salvia Hispanica, originally grown in Mexico and related to the mint family. They have become a popular “superfood”, prized for their nutritional value and health giving properties.
Give Your Dad The Gift Of Health On Fathers Day
We’ve had a special day for mothers for centuries (Mothering Sunday) but Fathers’ Day was only introduced early in the last century in America and imported to England far more recently – and why not! Dad’s are just as important and deserve a bit of spoiling at least once a year, to remind them how much we appreciate and love them.
TASK 5 - Join, Like, Learn With a Free Personal Training Taster Session
As part of your gym membership at Welcome Gym, you are entitled to a FREE half-hour taster session with one of our excellent personal trainers. You can see their details and what they specialise in on our website, under the Training tab.
TASK 4: Book a Workshop As Part of the Join, Like, Learn Fitness Challenge
Functional Training - where exercises are specifically designed to help you perform everyday activities more easily and avoid injury - is becoming a very popular and arguably the most effective training method. However, it does involve a range of rather weird and wonderful equipment, which may appear somewhat daunting or baffling to the average gym goer.
How Can Exercise Really Help Me Quit Smoking?
Even with the recent introduction of e-cigarettes, around 17% of the UK population still smoke regularly. Studies have shown that even moderate exercise, especially aerobic exercise that works your heart and lungs, actively reduces the urge to smoke.
Running Trainers - Getting The Right Fit!
Running shoes are the most essential piece of kit for any runner. Knowing how your feet work is vital for finding the right trainers to keep you injury free and keep you running!
TASK 3 - Bring a Buddy On Your Join, Like, Learn Journey
Your third task in the seven-week Welcome Gym Join, Like, Learn Fitness Challenge is to bring a friend, colleague or family member into the gym to introduce them into the world of fitness and try a partner workout.Entering a gym for the first time can be very daunting for the uninitiated.
Task 2 - Give Us A Thumbs Up!
On the second stage of your Join, Like, Learn journey, we would like you to take a selfie of you and a member of our fitness team, whether an instructor or personal trainer, giving everyone a thumbs up sign, and to post this on Facebook.We want this initiative to involve all Welcome Gym members, and a thumbs up is your stamp of approval for the idea that although we are all different individuals, we are part of a community that shares the same aims and ambitions – to get fitter, stay healthier and live a longer, more active and enjoyable life.
Join For Free - May Bank Holiday Offer
The May Bank Holiday is already upon us and summer is beginning to feel like a reality at last.We all tend to be more active during the warmer months and feel more inspired to take up new and healthier habits.
High Blood Pressure - How Can Exercise Help?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects about a third of adults and can be a major cause of strokes and heart disease. It's important, therefore, to understand what are the main causes of high blood pressure, who is at most risk and how you can reduce your blood pressure and improve your health through healthy eating and exercise.
Task 1 - 3 Is The Magic Number
The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling, running or fast walking every week and strength exercises that work all the major muscles on one or two days a week. Fitting this amount of exercise into your busy life with work, chores and family demands can be quite difficult, and certainly attending the gym every single day may not be sustainable, either physically or mentally.
Make Your Join, Like, Learn Fitness Journey Even More Rewarding
Welcome Gym has come up with a new challenge, which will encourage you to join other club members in focusing on your fitness, and which will prove rewarding in more ways than one. If you sign up to the “Join, Like, Learn Journey”, you will receive a loyalty card, listing seven fun challenges to be achieved before the journey’s end, where a small prize awaits you.
Cool, Comfy And Not Too Pricey - Where To Find Great Workout Kit
We are all looking for something that looks good , keeps us supported and feels great when we workout, but what products are out there that feel really comfortable and flatter our natural body shapes? We decided to compare the supermarket, high street and top end brands to see what they have to offer.
Quick and Easy Pre-Workout Snacks!
Many of us are looking for quick 'on the go' snacks that give us more energy, burn fat, help build muscle and help aid recovery after exercise, so we decided to do some research to see what was available.A number of nutritionists suggest that if you are partaking in vigorous exercise, then eating a small snack between 30 and 60 minutes before your workout can be beneficial.
STRETCH
There are two different types on stretching – Dynamic & Static. A Dynamic stretch is an exercise which contains movement and should be completed prior to working out, whilst a Static stretch is usually performed when a workout is completed.
Learn - Utilise our Workshops and Gym Floor Sessions To Expand Your Fitness Repertoire!
LEARN – The Benefits of Trying Our Workshops and Gym Floor Classes. If you were at school or college and had to do the same lesson day-in-day-out, you would soon get bored and maybe start skipping classes and playing truant.
Gym Etiquette - The Do's And Don'ts!
Gym Etiquette - The Do's And Don'ts!All gyms have rules relating to what you should and shouldn’t do whilst you are working out or taking part in a class.
LIKE - find a fitness hobby or exercise that you like, and that will be the key to sticking to it.
When you’re considering which form of exercise might be best for you, the most important thing to bear in mind is whether it’s going to be an activity that you actually enjoy. It’s all very well thinking about how many calories this or that activity burns and what training methods are the latest craze, but if you hate doing these things, you’ll soon get bored or frustrated and give up.
The Power Of Dance!
Being a member of a gym doesn’t mean you just have to use the gym equipment! Most gyms offer so much more nowadays, including lots of different classes and workshops for you to try.
No Garden - No Problem!
We've been promoting the benefits of gardening and growing your own fruit and veg but not all of us are lucky enough to have the outside space to set up a veg patch. Never fear, here are some inspiring ideas with no garden required!
Stress Relief Through Exercise
Let’s face it - modern life can be stressful. Whether it be difficult world news, long working hours, commutes, financial pressure or relationship issues, all of these things and more can conspire to make us fearful, anxious and stressed.
LEARN - Top 5 Recommended Fitness Books
Getting fit is often described as a “journey”, but it is really a process of education, getting to know your body and its capabilities, learning to improve it through exercise and healthy eating and acquiring the skills to optimise its efficiency and longevity. The question is, are you: 1.
What Is On Offer At Welcome Gym High Wycombe - Our Open Weekend Rundown!
This weekend, over the Easter bank holiday, we are opening our doors to the High Wycombe community and letting local residents try us for free! We want to make sure that local people get a great idea of what is on offer if they join a Welcome Gym.
JOIN - why is doing exercise in a group more fun and potentially more effective?
If you would love to feel a bit fitter but just can't stick to a regular routine, then you are like millions of us, you just need to find the support and encouragement you need to get moving. We think the key thing is to JOIN with other people in activities that will get you off the couch.
Getting A (Reasonably Healthy) Chocolate Fix
With Easter on the horizon, our thoughts turn to the delights of chocolate eggs, rabbits, chicks, or just bars or boxes of delicious chocolate. As comedienne Jo Brand says, “Anything is good if it’s made of chocolate!
A Taste Of Spring!
WOW, look at this delicious rolled leg of lamb with minty pesto! We think this is a cracking Easter holiday weekend recipe, and suprisingly simple to do.
It is never too late to start exercising..
There’s no doubt about it, keeping fit at any age makes for a happier, healthier life. However, getting yourself into a gym or a fitness routine as you get older can be particularly tough and daunting.
Cleanse & Detox - Pineapple, Coconut And Ginger Smoothie
Try this super smoothie with delicious pineapple, coconut and ginger. Detoxing your body has 5 major health benefits:
Helps remove toxins from the body and liver
Reduces inflammation
Promotes healthy brighter skin
Clears your digestive system
Gives you a bit of energy and va va voom!
Feeling awkward and afraid to join a gym is normal.. you are not alone!
‘I’m so awkward, I’m afraid I will trip or won’t know how to use the machines’Does that feel like you? Along with some of these common thoughts:
I don’t know what kind of clothes to wear.
For A Detox Boost, Try Eating Raw - Sample Our Raw Pad Thai
Raw foods such as fruits, grains and vegetables tend to retain their natural goodness in abundance, as well as offering a cleaner fresher taste. Raw food fans believe that you gain a much greater nutritional value from the food with many additional benefits, such as boosting your immune system, aiding detox and promoting better digestion.
Yummy Little Cup Cakes!
How about treating your Mum to these delicious little morsels? Carrot, raisin and maple cakes are moist and lower in refined sugar than a traditional cupcake.
From Zero to Hero - Health & Fitness From Scratch
Perhaps you are just the same as I am..someone who used to take part in lots of exercise at school and college and have suddenly realised it has now been 10 or more years since I have done any proper exercise.
A Third Of The Cost Of A Delivery Pizza And 3 Times The Taste!
Just look at this mouthwatering pizza! It costs around just £3.
5 Reasons To Take a Walk on The Wild Side..
Walking in the country is one of the most painless and enjoyable ways of taking exercise, whether alone or with friends, at any time of year and in most weathers. Here are five good reasons for getting into the great British outdoors and putting your best foot forward: -1.
Grow Your Own Five (Or More) A Day
We all know food is just as important as exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. The ’5-A Day’ slogan is widely known and encourages us to incorporate as many fruits and vegetables into our diet as possible, and what better way to do this than to grow your own?
Spicy Guacamole With Pitta Chips
This guacamole is refreshing, spicy, zesty and full of ingredients that support the detox of the digestive system. A super healthy snack , perfect for movie night or post workout nibble.
Welcome Gym - Find Out More...
Fitness First High Wycombe is now being operated by The Fitness Trust and is trading as ‘Welcome Gym’, a new brand of gym that offers excellent facilities at an exceptionally low price.The Fitness Trust is a non-profit organisation, with an objective to provide professionally run, accessible, gym and exercise facilities to communities with a broad demographic base.
The Key To My Fitness Motivation.. Weight Lifting!
I’ve been there. We’ve all been there.
The Key To My Fitness Motivation.. Weight Lifting!
I’ve been there. We’ve all been there.
Pilates Unravelled
"A man is as young as his spinal column" Joseph Pilates. This quote really does epitomise what Pilates is all about.
5 Reasons To Take a Walk on The Wild Side..
Walking in the country is one of the most painless and enjoyable ways of taking exercise, whether alone or with friends, at any time of year and in most weathers. Here are five good reasons for getting into the great British outdoors and putting your best foot forward: -1.
Making a splash - swimming as an aid to fitness for the over 60s
Swimming is an easy way to improve your overall fitness and you don’t have to be a young or lean Michael Phelps or Rebbeca Adlington to take part. You can enjoy swimming at any age, whatever your shape, and it’s an ideal way of making a fitness gain without too much pain.
