GYM-GOERS have shared their excitement at getting back to running on a treadmill or lifting weights again.

The Adver went along to the reopening of Buzz Gym in the Brunel Centre this morning.

Member Kara Hiscock, 26, from Rodbourne said: “I’m so happy. I was training a little bit in lockdown anyway, but it feels so good to be back here, it’s so much better for my mental health.

“I’ve been working from home since March, so it’s just somewhere to come and get out of work, really. It’s just so good to be back.

“They are constantly cleaning, so it’s great.”

Jeremy Williams, 27, from Old Town said going to the gym helps him with his mental health.

He said: “My social life is here, so since lockdown happened, it just stopped overnight.

“I love my weightlifting and I can’t afford weights at home, that’s one of the reasons why I come here.

“I can’t afford my personal gym at home, so if it closes down I have nowhere to go.

“I do press-ups and sit-ups at home, that’s it really.”

Roselyn Bualagilagi, 28, from Lyneham said: “I was really looking for the gym reopening again.

“I’ve been a member since the end of October. And it’s been great.

“I feel very safe, they are very good at sanitising and cleaning the place. And we also do the same after using the equipment.

“Being in the gym is more motivating, because at home you’re just by yourself, it gets quite depressing. I find it much better to come to the gym

Buzz Gym owner Adam Stowell said he was disappointed to have been forced to close during Lockdown 2.

He said: “After lockdown 1 each of our Buzz Gym clubs had a host of new safety measures brought in at a cost of around £30k.

“We also had to increase our staffing and cleaning contracts to ensure all our sites stayed Covid secure with these extra measures, backed up by the data of low infection rates in gyms we would have expected to have been re classified as 'essential’ and therefore been allowed to remain open.”

He added: “We successfully reopened all our clubs at 6am. The support from existing members has been incredible and we have seen a huge demand for new members who are now seeking to increase their fitness and health in a combat to beat Covid19 should they become infected.

“We have also seen an increase in people using Buzz Gym and our community of trainers and members as a way to socialise and get out of the house, even if in a socially distant way.

“The mental health benefits of exercise are huge and with the dark and cold nights drawing. Lockdown 2 has been really harsh on a lot of the community. We are thrilled Buzz has become an essential part of the community and are now looking forward to helping our members achieve their 2021 goals!”