A $4.8 million fitness centre kitted out with saunas, ice baths and a luxury change room with Dyson hair tools has opened in Perth’s southern suburbs in a bid to meet a growing shift towards “recovery”.
World Gym opened in Canning Vale last week, in what WA growth and improvement manager Emma Stroud described as one of the chain’s “best decisions” to date.
“Honestly, it’s absolutely exceeded expectations,” she said.
“The location has already been desirable for us and the community itself. We had the opportunity to build a purpose-built site and we were able to design it from the ground up.”
The multi-million-dollar facility is the latest of Fitness Venture Group’s builds and for the first time includes a “recovery hub”- amassing hot baths, massage stations, steam rooms and a luxury change room.
It’s part of a booming industry, with the global wellness economy valued at trillions of dollars and a growing craze of ice baths and saunas popping up across Perth.
In January, a Perth mental health group broke the first ever Guinness World Record for the most people to ever take part in an ice bath.
Ms Stroud said the recovery facilities went hand in hand with heavy training and were a nod to the growing trend of people seeking wellness facilities.
“I believe there’s been a significant shift towards mental health, wellness and recovery,” she said.
“As people train harder, the importance of recovery has become more evident. Recovery has just become a lot more popular within the community.”
Fitness Venture Group founder and chief executive Ryan Youngman said the brand has focused on staying ahead of trends in the industry.
“In the fitness industry, we’ve noticed trends like digital fitness, holistic health, boutique studio offerings, functional training, personalisation and inclusivity,” he said.
“We adapt to these by carefully incorporating changes that have real intent and purpose, ensuring they help our members achieve their goals and align with our vision.”
World Gym’s Mandurah location is also tipped to open with added recovery facilities in the next 12 weeks.
The $1.5 million project in Halls Head expands the gym by 500sqm to include hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, compression boots and pilates.
World Gyms also operate across Midland, Malaga, Joondalup and Bunbury.
