What is more important when choosing a new gym?

I’ve always* enjoyed fitness and try to make sure that I exercise regularly, which is very important for me since working from home for the last 2-years. You’ll often see me on my @LucieLoves Instagram Stories looking slightly sweaty and bedraggled after a particularly gruelling session. So when I moved to a new area this year - after making the very tough decision to move out of London, after 10-years of living in the city – and was trying to find my ‘new normal’ in a much quieter village up north. I knew that one of my top priorities was to find and join a new gym in my local area.

But how do you go about choosing a new gym? Yeah, the amount of dithering that people do when trying to find a gym they like is crazy! Having previously been a member at David Lloyd in Surrey, I’d been pretty spoilt when it came to leisure facilities. Swanky locker rooms. Sauna… tick! Steam room… tick! Swimming pool… tick! Expensive monthly membership… tick!

However, when I moved to my new place – a little village in Cheshire with temperamental public transport links, and no car of my own to speak of… I soon realised that simply transferring my existing David Lloyd membership to the nearest one near me was not going to cut it.

You see, what I’d realised when it came to choosing a new gym is this: location and convenience are everything! Find one that you can actually get to, easily – and then you have zero excuses for that membership of yours gathering dust… FACT!

I cancelled my David Lloyd membership on the grounds that I was no longer living within travelling distance of a club. Getting to the Warrington or Manchester one would’ve taken upwards of an hour there an an hour back on public transport, so it was a no go! The thing about David Lloyd memberships too, is that you usually need to give 3-months paid notice before they allow you to cancel. Eek! Thankfully, this work around allowed me to circumnavigate those T & Cs. Nobody wants to pay for a gym membership for a club they cannot physically get to.

And so, I had a look at what was on my doorstep, fitness-wise, that would suit the sort of workouts I enjoyed.

Originally, having done a lot of focussed strength work and weightlifting with my ex, I thought I’d try and find a gym that offered up the same DIY workouts. Access to all the equipment etc.

Relocating from London for a slice of Cheshire Life | Lymm Village looking extra quaint in the sunshine

But what I found turned out to be so much better! I found a gym that I was able to not only walk to in under 20-mins, cycle to in 6-mins, or (now that I actually have a car) drive to in 4-mins! A gym that offered a range of Strength & Fitness and Mobility Classes, each carefully tailored so that you get the most out of each 30 min or 60 min class, under the watchful eye and careful guidance of expert instructors.

I found The MVMT Room, Lymm.

Class in progress at The MVMT Room, Lymm. Credit: @TheMVMTRoom

Nope! It turn out that I didn’t actually need regular access to a sauna or steam room. Nope! I didn’t really need a swimming pool (tbf, I’m not a great swimmer, so don’t really enjoy it very much and tend to avoid the pool at all costs - plus, having to wash the chlorine out of my hair each time doesn’t do much for my faux red hair colour’s longevity either…)

And as the guy’s at The MVMT Room say: Consistency. Creates. Change.

Coach Alex Higham at The MVMT Room helping improve shoulder mobility. Credit: @CoachAlexJP

Knowing that I like to workout regularly (I go 3-5 times a week, if I can) mainly to break up my working from home schedule (read as: get my bum off my desk chair and interact with some real-life humans and sweat a little – or a lot) I originally signed up for their Unlimited Membership, enabling me access to as many classes as I can fit in each week. They’ve now rolled this Membership out across the board, as their standard one, to encourage members to up their exercise game, attend more classes, whilst giving them the flexibility of working out whenever suits them.

Put it this way: if you’re looking to get fit, living in the Warrington/Lymm/Cheshire and have no idea where to start, then The MVMT Room is the right gym for you. The MVMT Room’s @CoachAlexJP, Sam (@SJC.Physio), Mica (Stockton Therapy) and @ThomasJamesPT are all a) really friendly and b) experienced Personal Trainers/Ex Pro Athletes, which shines through in all of the classes and training styes. Each session is carefully considered and offers flexibility for beginners and more advanced members - those of us who want to continue to push ourselves, to get fitter and stronger (read as: combat the pancake bum from home working and bingo wings of old age…)

So what are The MVMT Room classes like?

If you’re wanting to tone up or get in shape, The MVMT Room classes consist of a combination of weights, cardio and mobility. Those of you who have previously tried classes like ‘MetaFit’ or ‘HIIT’ or ‘Circuits’ will enjoy the structured approach to these Strength workouts, and be familiar with sets and reps, etc. Classes are nicely limited in size, to ensure that you get the attention and coaching needed from your trainer to improve your fitness. They offer a 7-day free membership for new members, which is a great place to start if you’re interested in trying a few classes and/or improving your squat game.

If you’re looking to find a gym that offers Personal Training or Physiotherapy, or just one that helps to improve your mobility, flexibility, general toning, rehab from injury, weight loss, or just find a new social circle of likeminded people who also enjoy keeping fit and looking after themselves, then you will love The MVMT Room’s ethos. Take a peek at The MVMT Room timetable here and see how it suits your schedule.

Best of luck!

Fancy a 7-day free trial with 50% off your first month’s membership at The MVMT Room? Start your journey now. Enjoy!

Follow @TheMVMTRoom on Instagram for more inspiration.

*for at least the last decade anyway…