A CARLISLE fitness centre has recruited more staff after taking its sessions online during lockdown.

Barrie Mark Personal Training, which runs a fitness and nutrition centre, has now set up a recording studio and recruited a digital manager together with a videographer to deal with demand.

The centre does a range of fitness and wellbeing sessions including one-to-one coaching and group sessions.

Classes include circuit training and nutritional assessments.

Barrie Mark Scougal, 44 – owner and director of the centre, in Coulton House Harraby Green Business Park – said: “In the head up to lockdown we started getting ready to stepping up training sessions online. This was back in March.

“By 6pm the following Monday we had all 200 online.

“We tried to keep things as normal as possible, we’d have session with eight people in one, six in another and two in another.

“When we went into lockdown you could make Covid-19 an obstacle and complain about it and not do anything, but you could also look at it another way around.

“You could look at it as a challenge and think ‘how can we keep doing what we do’.

“Covid-19 is not the problem, it’s how we can keep a focus on fitness and keep clients engaged and not to give them excuses.”

In line with Government guidelines the fitness centre is due to open again on Saturday with a number of social distancing and safety measures in place.

“If there is another lockdown we can go straight back,” he said.

“In June we were able to restart with the one-to one clients. And from the nutritional point of view it was not to give people a reason to stop.”

Barrie, who has been a trainer for 14 years, added: “The mental aspect of all this is as important as the physical aspect – the willpower and motivation is as important as the training.”

He is currently offering a 30-day experience online for those that want to give his fitness and nutrition advice and training a try.

The package includes unlimited personal training sessions, a nutrition and training assessment, one-to-one, semi private and team training sessions together with a movement assessment.

For information visit the Barrie Mark Personal Training website online at barriemarkpt.com

Alternatively contact by phone 01228 523412 / 07825 447636, or email: admin@barriemarkfitness.com