24-hour gym opens in Penampang

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PENAMPANG: Around the clock access to gyms in Sabah fortifies the governments mission to prioritize health amongst its people, said Sabah Sports Board (SSB) chairman Datuk Louis Rampas.

Rampas said government gym facilities, which continue to churn out Saga (Sabah Games) and Sukma (Malaysia Games) ready athletes, have been provided by the government at sports complexes in places such as Kota Kinabalu, Keningau, Tambunan, Sandakan and Tawau.

However, it is not sufficient for the needs of the public, said Rampas after officiating at the New York Fitness at Plaza 333 here yesterday.

I have been made to understand that the gym will be open 24 hours, so this means that the health conscious people will be able to find a place, no matter the time, to participate in healthy activities.

We hope the gym will be able to help enlighten our society, regardless of their young or old age, to care for health and their health condition. This is the one place that is, perhaps, where we can conduct healthy activities that are normally quite forgotten by society today, he said.

Rampas added that the ministry under Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan had continually encouraged the mushrooming of gyms in Sabah.

This gym is located at a strategic area, which is suitable for gym enthusiasts around Kota Kinabalu. I see that the gym is modern and fitted with the latest equipment, he said.

New York Fitness co-owner Chan Wen Ming said the 24-hour concept gym eliminated the time restrictions that had held the people back from going to the gym.

Business does not put distance into its calculations. We see in Kota Kinabalu the gym centres are not as competitive compared to Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bharu or other states in Semenanjung, said the KLite.

So we (Sabah and Sarawak gym co-owners) see the very nice Sabah as a place with a lot of business opportunities in this field, he explained.

Chan said its VIP area with massage chairs, table tennis, dartboard and sauna, which create a place for members to unwind, would set New York Fitness aside from similar facilities in the city.

New York Fitness is among the gyms in KK that is multifunctional, stated Chan.

We have an estimate of 200 members so far and target 500 membership for this year. We do not want too many members. We control the numbers so they would not feel congested and unhappy.

We encourage the young, teenagers and old alike to come and exercise so that our health is ensured forever, he added.

Chan revealed, as the largest 24-hour gym in Kota Kinabalu thus far, New York Fitness has the capacity of comfortably accommodating 70 people at one time in its 6,500 square feet, two-floored and five-lot gym area.

After achieving its ultimate membership target of 650, New York Fitness will consider expanding its wings to Manggatal.

Movon Development Sdn Bhd executive chairman Datuk Robert Ling Tiong Chai, Healthy Space Sdn Bhd executive directors Tommy Tham and David Yek, executive manager Sally Lee and Miss Sabah Tourism finalists were among those at the grand launch.

Up to 1pm during the ceremony, Chan said some 20 customers had snapped the one-day promotion of RM688 for its six-month period membership.

A days access costs RM15 whilst the monthly access is RM150. With an enrolment of the RM1,399 one-year membership, customers will have access to its VIP facilities.

New York Fitness also provides fitness classes such as Zumba, yoga, fat burning, pump fx, fight fx, fitball and abs work.