Remodeling continues. Classes continue to grow. BHC as a safe place to work out.

October 2, 2022

Dear Members,

Summer was supposed to end a bit over a week ago, but it sure does not seem like it with the beautiful weather that we continue to have.  When it comes time for more of you to get in out of the weather and back to the Club, we have been getting ready for you.  The remodel on the street level of the Club that will turn the location of Studio Y into 2 studios – a new training studio and a new Study Y, has been going strong. Click HERE for a graphic showing what the resulting studio areas will be.

Our personal training staff has been brainstorming on the best way to lay out the new Training Studio to best facilitate personal training sessions and small group training. It should look interesting when someone comes down the main entrance stairway and is surrounded by 3 windows looking into the new training studio. Especially because the training studio will be a “split level” layout with one half of the studio with its floor about 3 feet higher than the other half.

We are also preparing Studio X, just off the main gym floor, for classes.  We used to hold 40 plus classes a week in Studio X pre-COVID, but since we have opened the wall and extended the gym space into it, it has been a popular place for many members to work out.  We will keep it open and available during the busy times to accommodate this popularity, and then use the studio for some classes when the demand for this space is less.

Working as the class director at a place like Ballard Health Club can be daunting and our new class director, Marianne Clarke, has been taking it on.  In the Pre-COVID days, there were only in-studio classes to deal with. Now there are in-studio, on-line/virtual, hybrid (in-studio AND virtual), and in addition to classes at several places in the BHC facility, we now have several senior classes at Leif Erikson Hall across the street from our main parking lot. Another type of class we have been experimenting with is to project the instructor on the wall of Studio Y (who is teaching remotely) and have members in the Studio use the equipment in the studio to do the class.

With all that said, Marianne has been working hard to develop more classes that she feels are of interest to our current and potential members.  If you know of a class that you would like us to add and you and your friends would attend, please let me know using our BHC suggestion form.

We are in the “new normal” with COVID. It’s going to be here for a long time, and we are continually learning how to proceed with our lives while dealing with it. I sincerely believe our Club is well suited with all the fresh air and anti-virial air systems we have in place as a safe place to work out. We look forward to continuing to be focused on our members’ safety while they focus on getting and/or staying fit at the Club.

Stay safe and hope to see you soon,

Pat Gilbrough

Owner, General Manager
pat@ballardhealthclub.com