Mayo is leading the way with revolutionary new gym for over-50s

Castle Leisure Club, Moneen, Castlebar, is leading the way with a brand new over-50s hub-gym targeting everybody over-50 right up to people over 90 to enjoy physical workouts through the use of power-assisted exercise machines.

The specialised Hello Good Life Health & Wellbeing hub, now open in the complex, offers a series of 12 power-assisted machines arranged in a convenient walkabout circuit, each of which, on the press of a button, runs for three minutes at a time, making for a total 40-minute workout designed to exercise all muscles in the body.

The first of its kind in the country, sole distributors of the power-assisted workout machines in Ireland are Mayo couple Martina Calvey and Seamus Davitt, who hope to see their new over 50s gym-hub concept rolled out in every town and county in order to ensure that the 50s-90s demographic - which includes many people who are healthy and well yet looking for an alternative exercise solution, and those suffering with health conditions such as MS or Parkinson’s, and others with mobility loss or more seeking rehabilitation following health issues - are provided with a safe space in which to work out and restore body tone and function.

During its first week of operation this January, over 400 people turned up to try out the equipment at Hello Good Life Hub in Castlebar, with all declaring themselves so delighted with the physical benefits from the experience - and moreover the social, mental, emotional and overall wellbeing benefits attached, that most immediately signed up to use the gym on a membership basis.

Opening the first hub in Mayo at Castle Leisure has already proven a huge success, confirmed Martina Calvey.

She said: “First of all, we are working with the perfect family business in the Mulroys, where their core values have always been about running their business from the heart in that it is all about their clients, accessibility and inclusivity.

"I realised this is the perfect place for the first Hello GoodLife Health and Wellbeing Hub, as it is already so well established with families and people of all ages right up into their 80s, with its offering of Nokeys, the bowling alley, the cinema, its very large, well-equipped gym and its many other amusements and attractions.

“This new Hello Good Life hub is also a gym but a specialised unique one, with add-ons, in that it not only provides a unique, safe and effective way to exercise, it is also a unique and safe space for people in their 50s right up to people in their 90s, including those with mobility issues, to enjoy a physical workout, but it also focuses on social, emotional and mental elements too.

"We need more visionary families like the Mulroys to invest in power assisted machines because they understand the difference, the improvements, these will make to people’s lives, and to invest in the creation of Hello GoodLife Health and Wellbeing Hubs so that all communities can offer the same holistic experience to this demographic.”

Cora and Breda Mulroy of Castle Leisure Club are delighted to be the first to introduce the power-assisted gym machines to the Irish public.

Cora stated: “The main reason we got involved was as a follow-on from our decision to close our pool after 23 years, which was a difficult decision, but it was just not sustainable.

"However, we still felt the need to be able to offer our members, especially our older ones, something more, geared just for them. When Martina came with this idea of a health and wellbeing hub, we realised it was a total fit for our business and also inclusive and perfectly suited to all our members.

"We didn’t want to lose them and wanted to find something nobody else could offer and were impressed that it was the very first in Ireland.

"Since we opened, we have already had people coming here from all over Mayo, including from Belmullet, Ballyhaunis and Charlestown. After just a few weeks, when you see the amount of people that are already benefitting from this space, that was the pool, it is very rewarding and we are thrilled to see our Aqua Group has come back and we are delighted to have them back!”

Cora has seen all ages and abilities arrive at the hub, such as one man who was linked in by relatives due to not being able to walk properly. “But once on the machine he was able to pedal. He would not have the power to do it himself but when you sit on the machine and press on the console, it starts moving itself and then you can push against it at whatever level you can.

“It is about retraining the muscles. We then had a client who used to be a very fit hill-climber but who is now going for treatments after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s - and who also declared that the hub was exactly what they needed.”

A treat also awaits all users at the end of each circuit, Cora reveals, stating: “The 12th and final station is known as the Relaxer, as it is a lie-back machine that rewards users with a vibration massage all along the body. There is no loud music - just some nice ambient background music - and people tell us how much they love this. And then of course, after all that, there is a cup of tea and a chat with others in the hub to enjoy.”

On the new power-assisted gym equipment, Martina added: “This is a new wave sweeping Europe and England, and the concept is the creation of spaces customised for people in their 50s right up to their 90s prioritising accessible exercise and health and wellbeing for all.

"The equipment is inclusive and removes barriers that might prevent people from exercising, such as joint pain or muscle weakness. Through their workouts they can enjoy improved physical and mental health, focusing on strength and endurance, toning and conditioning, flexibility, stress reduction and mood improvement.”

Castle Leisure Centre is openb from 6.30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

For enquiries to use the hub, contact the centre at (094) 9026749 or see https://www.castleleisureclub.ie.

For enquiries in regard to installing a hub, email info@hellogoodlife.ie or see the website at https://www.hellogoodlife.ie