LEISURE centre membership levels locally have reached a record level, after facilities reopened following the forced closures due to Covid.

Local leisure operator, Everyone Active, said it has exceeded pre-pandemic membership levels, proving that health and fitness is firmly back on the agenda of the local community.

Managed in partnership with Somerset West and Taunton Council, Everyone Active has seen a sharp rise in health and fitness memberships at its sites which host gyms - Wellsprings Leisure Centre, Wellington Sports Centre and Blackbrook Leisure Centre and Spa.

Exceeding the 5,000 member level for the first time, Mark Washington, contract manager at Everyone Active, believes there are a number of reasons why fitness is booming again, particularly across Somerset West and Taunton. He said: “Home workouts not offering the same as the in-gym experience, the increase in flexible working and the need to feel part of the community again - all of these factors, plus the confidence that lockdowns won’t cause prolonged periods of closures have led to an increase in gym memberships.”

The award-winning leisure operator has reported an increase in demand for holistic and wellbeing classes such as, yoga, Pilates and Body Balance. In addition, 25-34 year olds are the most common age group to attend the gym and fitness classes.

Mark added: “Pre-Covid, we’d only just finished our £1.3m upgrade of the facilities before we had to close for the first lockdown, so the gyms are still brand new to most customers.

“Plus, the impact of Covid-19 means people are now more conscious of both their physical health and mental wellbeing, so we’ve seen great demand for classes focused on wellbeing, alongside the popular fitness classes. It seems people are longing for experiences and opportunities to enjoy a workout with friends.”

Everyone Active offers a range of activities for people of all ages and abilities – from swimming, to gyms with state-of-the-art TechnoGym equipment and a variety of fitness classes.

A spokesperson for Somerset West and Taunton said: “The Council is delighted to see that there has been a significant recent uplift in usage at all of its leisure facilities.

“The council has worked closely with Everyone Active over what has been a difficult period to ensure the leisure facilities remained available once the country returned to a ‘new normal’. We’re delighted to note the number of members now using the facilities and trust this will continue to grow.”