Renovations Well Received by Planet Fitness Members, Staff

MARTINSBURG — In late December, members of Planet Fitness Martinsburg were welcomed back to the club after the facility was transformed with its biggest renovation to date.

One month later, positive reviews are still being received by staff at the refreshed vestibule. According to Ricky Long, area director of National Fitness Partners for Planet Fitness, the remodel was able to take place with limited disruption for its members. The design was created to make the most out of the available space.

“This is the first big one that we’ve done,” Long said. “What we’ve done out on the floor was change the lighting, opened it up and made it more inviting for the members.”

The lighting was not the only feature updated at Planet Fitness. New paint, wallpaper and signage have been updated at the facility. Equipment is arranged in a way designers felt would offer more flow through the gym.

Sabrina Elaradi said one of the goals was to create some separation between the main gym floor and the area designated for functional training and stretching. By separating the two areas with a simple half wall, she said the design has helped increase comfort levels for club members.

Long said special attention was paid to the redesign of the Black Card Spa. The spa was once accessed through a walking loop around the staff vestibule. Now, the area is accessed through a single glass-door entrance.

“So, this is a big part of the remodel,” Long said. “We separated the Black Card Spa area to make it more exclusive for our Black Card members, because they do pay a little more. We want to give them kind of their own area.”

Elaradi highlighted the new equipment that has been added to the Black Card Spa. The HydroMassage lounge chairs offers a Swedish-style massage through the use of warm water jets, providing a relaxing massage experience.

For those who prefer deep tissue massage, new reclining massage chairs are available for members. During the tour, a guest using the massage chair said the experience was “very nice.”

“Those chairs go all the way back,” Elaradi said. “They massage your whole entire back area, as well as your arms. I’ve actually had members tell me that they’ve had to go to the chiropractor less from those chairs. I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback, and I love those chairs, as well. They have the rollerballs in there and they massage your whole entire back and arms.”

Notably, one of the biggest features added to the Black Card Spa is the new Wellness Pod by RelaxSpace. Elaradi said the best way to describe the new feature would be to call it a “mental health pod.”

“It has various different meditation exercises that are led, and there’s also options to travel anywhere in the world,” she said. “There is a screen at the top you see while laying down. It is really cool. Also, when you lay down, it does have a heated back, like a heating pad. For anyone that is having back issues, they can lay down, get that heat on their back and relax at the same time.

“There’s also an option where you can see your heart rate while you’re in here so you can see the benefits it’s having on your body while you’re in the pod.”

The Wellness Pod also acts as a sensory pod by producing sent options, such as spring and tropical. Long also said the heat feature of the wellness pod may also be turned off, and a cooling air vent can be utilized.

Since its unveiling, Elaradi said she has yet to receive any negative feedback from members who have used the Wellness Pod.

“We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback,” she said. “The members are super, super happy, especially with this, because it’s not really around. You don’t see it at any other Planet Fitness around here, so this has been getting a lot of attention, and I’ve been getting a lot of feedback.”

Planet Fitness Martinsburg is located at 1220 N. Queen St, Martinsburg. The facility is open 24 hours a day, Monday-Thursday; from 12 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays; and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday/Sunday.