Free eco-friendly exercise at MDL’s green gym open weekend
MDL Marinas is hosting a free open weekend at its first MDL Fitness eco gym on the 2-3 October 2021.
The sustainable exercise facility at Queen Anne’s Battery Marina in Plymouth is throwing its doors open to local residents, berth holders and visitors to come and try its innovative, state-of-the-art SportArt ECO-POWR equipment and new fitness classes for free.
The event, and the gym, will officially be opened by the Lord Mayor of Plymouth on Saturday the 2nd October at 10am. SportArt Ambassador, Hon Col Dr Andy Grant LLD will also be attending on the Saturday. A former Royal Marine, Grant will give short talks on the importance of getting fit, and he’ll be getting involved with the free spin and weight-based circuit training classes throughout the day.
While serving in Afghanistan, Grant experienced life changing injuries which resulted in his lower right leg being amputated. Exercise and fitness played a massive role in his recovery and he’s now the fastest single leg amputee in the world over 10K. He says: “There was a time after being blown up in Afghanistan, and being medically discharged from the Marines, where my mental health was at an all-time low. Exercising fixed that.
“Setting goals and getting into a good routine at the gym helped get my physical and mental health back on track. The fact we now have the option to work out and help save the planet has to be the best added bonus.”
Harnessing up to 74% of a user’s kinetic energy spent exercising, MDL says the gym’s ECO-POWR
treadmills, cross trainers and bicycles will allow it to send the AC power generated by the gym’s users back through the gym’s power grid to offset its energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint.
“The open weekend will be the last chance to join our flagship green gym for free, with the joining fee being waived until the end of the day on Sunday 3rd October,” says Matthew White, MDL Fitness manager. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for those locally, or berth holders in the marina, to try out our new 35-station gym before joining. There will also be free giveaways from a local protein snack company and other local sustainable businesses. Everyone is welcome.”
The first of four planned eco-gyms at MDL’s marina locations, the company says MDL Fitness in Plymouth has been built with sustainability in mind, with the floor being made from recycled tyres, the ventilation system having heat recovery making it more energy efficient and the gym furniture coming from a sustainable source.
