It's been just over a year since the F45 fitness studio opened in Bradford.
On Saturday, the studio hosted a one-year anniversary celebration, with free classes, swag, a live DJ, and healthy snacks from Bradford's Freshii and Newmarket's BOSS Supplements.
Owners Walder Amaya and Chris Lombardi say it has been challenging opening up during a worldwide pandemic, but are happy to be able to provide a safe space for members to work on their physical and mental health. They say their 70 members have become close like family.
"We still have a lot of growing to do," said Lombardi, noting the difficulties of navigating the closures throughout the pandemic.
"It was like starting from scratch," he said.
F45 offers a mix of circuit and “HIIT” style workouts geared towards everyday movements. The “F” stands for Functional training and 45 is the number of minutes allotted for sweat-dripping, heart-pumping workouts that burn anywhere from 300-400 calories.
"It's a little bit of everything," said Amaya. "It's always different, and every few months it (the workouts) get changed around."
Exercises can be modified to each member's unique abilities and strengths.
When Amaya first learned about F45 training, he was recovering from two knee replacement surgeries. He liked the way the exercises could be adjusted to accommodate his injuries.
"You do what you can, and when you feel comfortable, you push a little bit," he said.
The studio is committed to keeping the community healthy and safe and has fully embraced the new vaccine certificate program, with 90 per cent of its members fully vaccinated.
To learn more about their programs, visit their Facebook page here.
