Elements Health Club will focus on functional fitness, offer both machines and small group training
With several large fitness facilities recently shuttering their doors in Gresham, and everyone cooped up at home, local residents will soon have a new place to exercise.
Elements Health Club will be opening toward the end of October as one outlet for that excess energy and a way to restart an important fitness routine.
The 2,300 square foot exercise emporium is at 2456 E. Powell Blvd., near the intersection of Powell Boulevard and Highway 26, in the former home of Cascade Athletic Club.
“We’re giving it a full facelift and it will have all new equipment,” said Daniel Lemke, manager of the new club.
The gym’s grand opening has been delayed due to some permitting and construction issues.
“BFit and Crunch closed in Gresham and all those members need a place to work out,” Lemke said.
Elements, Lemke said, will have all the usual exercise machines and will also focus on small group fitness training.
The space will be outfitted with 40 machines for cardiovascular fitness. “We’ll have a lot of elliptical, because they are low impact,” he said.
Elements emphasizes strength training and specialized small classes use free weights and other equipment, not just strength training machines. The small groups will be similar to having a personal trainer, but with a class of six to 10 people.
The gym will offer about 20 to 30 classes per week in disciplines such as yoga, Pilates and Zumba. Spin classes will be added later.
“We’ll be adding classes as we go,” Lemke said. “We’re more about functional fitness.”
Functional fitness focuses on training the body for real-life movement and activities such as unloading groceries or yard work.
The gym will also offer programs and classes designed for seniors that will be low impact and feature strength training with equipment such as weights and stretchy bands.
Elements also will have a Kids Club.
“We want to make it fun for kids so parents want to come to the gym,” Lemke said.
Elements expects “tons of seniors and people with injuries or medical conditions.”
Lemke describes the new Elements as “everybody’s gym. It’s not just for body builders and super athletes.”
“It’s fun. We’ll have a good time,” said Lemke.
Sidebar
COVID safety
The new Elements Health Club opening in Gresham at 2456 E. Powell Blvd., will strictly follow coronavirus safety precautions for as long as the virus is a problem, said Daniel Lemke, manager of the new club.
Everyone will be required to wear a mask.
Every other exercise machine will be out of service to keep members properly socially distanced. Stickers will be placed on the floor in exercise classes so folks can easily tell they are adequately separated.
Total occupancy in the building will be limited.
The gym has fogging machines that will spray sanitizer and they will ask guests to be vigilant about wiping down the machine after they use it. Elements plans 21 stations with spray bottles, paper towels and disinfecting wipes for members to use on the machines.
All Elements employees will also be asked to clean and sanitize equipment to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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