FITNESS giants F45 have capitalised on the recent Pilates and Yoga resurgence brought about by COVID-19 by opening a new, first-of-its-kind fitness chain, FS8. Integrating elements of tone, Pilates, mobility and yoga, the franchise aims to provide a low-impact alternative to its high-intensity counterpart, F45.
While FS8 still aims to incorporate the community elements and circuit-based structure of F45, the style of training caters to a much more diverse market, ranging across a variety of skill and experience levels.
Despite offering less explosive and intense movements than F45, the positions and core exercises provided by FS8 ensures you’ll leave the gym feeling satisfied. Providing a compromise between meditation and high impact weightlifting, FS8 gives customers the diversity of 2,800 different exercises and movements.
FS8 Chatswood studio owner Peter Day talks about why FS8 is quickly becoming “one of the largest players in the Pilates space in Australia”.
“The market research we’ve seen shows us that Pilates is a fantastic way of training. It’s low impact, increases mobility and core strength,” Day said. “But a lot of people when they finish a Pilates workout often say they want to have something extra, or they feel like they need to go to the gym. The workouts are basically 50% Pilates and 50% tone. The tone component adds strength-based exercises such as dumbbells, banded work, medicine balls and Pilates rings.”
With society gradually moving out of lockdowns, the community aspect of training is something Day says was greatly missed by a lot of people.
“Everyone knows the community environment is a huge part of what makes F45 so successful. By taking the community element and placing it in a low impact setting, it creates a really fun training environment.”
Day says that while FS8 offers a range of physical benefits, the implications of COVID-19 on mental health has seen many people turning to physical activity to improve their headspace.
“There’s such a strong correlation between physical training and mental health. When you move more, you just feel better,” he says. “Feeling a part of a community has a huge impact on mental health as well. They feel happier, train harder, and they know we’re keeping them accountable.”
For more information on how to join the FS8 community, contact (02) 6423 0307 or email chatswood@fs8studio.com.au