Young Aberdeen entrepreneur Rachel Combe opened her first state of the art fitness facility mere months before the lockdown measures were put in place.
Aptly named The Shed, which opened in late summer 2019, is believed to be the first agricultural building turned gym in Scotland.
After a hugely successful launch, The Shed Health Club’s membership numbers continued to rise rapidly each week as word spread of the quality facilities and the dedicated team of personal trainers Rachel had recruited.
But when initial reports of a lockdown began to surface last month, Rachel, 32, who lives in the Bridge of Don, knew she had to adapt quickly to retain as many of her 600 plus members and keep The Shed’s schedule of classes as relevant to her members’ daily lives as possible.
“It was very difficult at first to comprehend having to close our Club just months after opening and especially after being off to such a great start,” said Rachel.
“However, bringing fitness and community together is what The Shed Health Club has always been about so it was important for us to show our members that we were going to be there for them throughout a very unpredictable time.”
Boosting fitness and community spirit
Keen to stay ahead of the game, a few days before the lockdown was announced, Rachel and her team began putting together a series of recorded workouts for members to do at home. They also set up an online timetable of daily live workouts available via a newly created Facebook page, The Shed Health Club Members Survival Page.
Despite membership numbers falling slightly as the community struggles not only physically and mentally, but also financially, Rachel is encouraged by the fact she has a waiting list of people keen to join The Shed when the pandemic is over.
She has also been heartened by those who have made the difficult decision to temporarily halt their membership, but who have promised to do their best to return to The Shed when life returns to normal.
Rachel credits her strong community of members, together with a committed team of trainers, for keeping spirits up throughout the quarantine measures over the last few weeks.
“We are so fortunate that a huge percentage of members are still choosing to support The Shed Health Club and we are incredibly grateful,” she said.
The Shed Health Club Members Survival Page features daily live workouts from kettlebells and resistance band sessions, to yoga and Metafit classes. Also available are full bodyweight workouts and live virtual spin classes. Rachel and her team continue to offer nutrition advice and positive re-enforcement messages to keep members focused on their individual training and fitness goals.
“The online workouts have just taken off and it’s a programme we want to keep on running for club members in the future,” said Rachel.
The loyalty of The Shed members to stick with the gym is testament to the community Rachel has helped to create, assisted by her mum Hazel whose support on a daily basis continues to contribute to the success of the Club.
“From the very first day our gym opened, I knew we were creating something very special,” continued Rachel.
“The fitness community here is second to none; our members have helped us to create something very unique. They are reaching out to us to ask how we are all holding up; everyone is equally as concerned about my mum and I as we are of each and every member of our club.”
Far from slowing down business plans, the current circumstances have only spurred The Shed team onwards to proceed with future expansion ideas.
“This is just the beginning, we have big future plans for The Shed Health Club,” said Rachel.
“I truly believe that, despite the devastating impact this pandemic has had on the fitness industry, the year 2020 will be the golden year for fitness centres such as The Shed as we are demonstrating how we can adapt to continue to be successful in the toughest of situations.”
As well as gym owner and personal trainer, Rachel’s most important job by far is being a mum to her five-year-old son Harry. If there is a positive side to any of this, Rachel says it is being able to dedicate more time to her family.
“I am now able to strike a balance to spend more time with Harry, which makes us both very happy,” she said.
“From a professional perspective, I feel immensely proud of my team. They support and encourage all our members with kindness, enthusiasm and pride and I couldn’t be more grateful.
“Through the darkest of days, we can see light at the end of the tunnel and our come back will be stronger than ever.”
