THE newly refurbished ladies’ gym at the Basingstoke Sports Centre has now officially reopened.

The Festival Place facility closed its Shape Ladies Fitness are on November 19, of this year, for a full refurbishment including new flooring, redecoration in a bold new colour scheme and the installation of new equipment.

Shape, the women exclusive area of the sports centre, now includes additional floor space for stretching and core exercises, a larger selection of hand-held weights and functional equipment and a pair of Stairmasters.

Each piece of cardiovascular and resistance kit has been replaced with brand-new Pulse equipment, bringing better functionality, ergonomics and accessibility as well as extras such as Freeview television.

Gary Burrow, fitness and wellbeing development manager at the sports centre, said: “It was important that the new ladies gym reflected what our members wanted.

“The specification was put together after an extended consultation and we’re proud to have delivered all that members had asked for. The feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive and it’s great to see how happy our customers are.”

Basingstoke Sports Trust - the charity which manages the Centre - updated its offer for female users to ensure it continues to offer one of the best equipped gyms in the borough whilst providing an experience that is welcoming, inclusive, supportive and friendly.

James Starbuck, the charity’s chief executive, added: “Whilst the ladies-gym was already very successful, it was important to us that we had an up-to-date offer that meets the expectation of today’s customers.

“We now have a facility that we all can be proud of and which will be used to encourage more women to become physically active in a safe, enjoyable and caring environment.”

To find out more about the refurbishment or the offer from the Basingstoke Sports Centre visit mybst.org.