A popular Shropshire health and fitness club has spent £300,000 upgrading their gym with new equipment offering the latest fitness programming technology.

Dave Courteen, managing director of The Shrewsbury Club, said it was important to continually invest in facilities to give members the best possible service.

He said: "We just think it takes us to the next level and it's embracing technology. So many of our members now use apps or wearable technology to manage their fitness programmes and all of the equipment now in place is compatible.

"Members can simply use their mobile phone to record their workout and to allow the treadmill or bike to recognise them and automatically set up their workout. It means working out is a lot easier and members can get the most benefit from their programme. 

"We've got a brand new range of CV equipment, the latest treadmills, the latest cross-trainers, so there's 34 pieces in all with a total value of just under £300,000." 

Mr Courteen added: "We realise it's very important that we continually reinvest in the club.

"We've done that on a regular basis in the near four years that we've been here, whether that's investing in The Hub restauraunt, improving the surfaces of the outside tennis courts, putting new lighting in, creating a day spa or fitting a new floor in our dance studio. 

"It's now the turn of the gym as we recognise that some of our equipment had been in there for a while.

"We've put a Mywellness Cloud system in and its real advantage is that members can access their gym programme wherever they are via a website.

"They can come in with their phone which the kit recognises and it will tune in to the right settings for the programme they want to follow. It's really simple to use and very effective."  

The Shrewsbury Club has also invested in a brand new spin studio to give members the best possible fitness experience. 

"It means we can offer far more spin classes," said Alvin Ward, manager of The Shrewsbury Club. "We have brought in a Myride system which offers members the chance to use the big screen in the studio showing different routes all around the world. 

"It might be cycling around the streets of San Francisco or across the Himalayas as there's many virtual spin experiences which make it feel as if you are actually cycling in different spectacular landscapes around the world. It’s really motivational and makes classes even more enjoyable."

He added: "We're also investing in a Les Mills virtual class programme. This means members can enjoy their favourite class being led by world class instructors on a large screen at a time to suit them. 

"We’re still offering instructor-led classes as we still think it's very important to have that option. Our instructors are really popular and their personality and ability to give personalised direct feedback and encouragement to those in the class are things that a virtual class cannot offer.

"We will continue to offer 80 instructor-led classes each week but we recognise that people may want to come in first thing in the morning or late at night and our class timetable doesn't always offer exactly what they want at the time they want. 

"By having a virtual class option, it's great that people can come in at a time that suits them and choose their class with a group of friends or even on their own.

"We are now also offering an optional online booking for all classes which makes it easier for people to schedule their classes."