Now she has brought that vision to Lewes, opening her Body Happy wellbeing centre with fully-functioning gym and creating a friendly and supportive environment that’s the ideal incentive for staying fit, happy and healthy.
The aim is for everyone who comes to Body Happy to become part of a supportive and encouraging community who are proud to help people achieve their goals.
“We do this by improving fitness, but that’s just the start because we know to be happy and healthy is about so much more,” Jenny says. “The way you think, feel and even breathe has a huge impact on the way your body works, so we look at the whole picture.”
The centre in Lewes opened in mid-September and is already attracting a loyal and enthusiastic following who appreciate Jenny’s flexible, friendly approach as well as the superb facilities, all designed to help clients feel confident, capable and revitalised.
Jenny has 20 years’ experience in the health and fitness industry, managing gyms and health clubs in the south of England and London. She has a passion for helping people along the road to a healthy lifestyle, and this underpinned her decision five years ago to buy a studio in Hove, where she established Body Happy.
About two years later she realised that to offer her energising and motivating services to a more extensive clientele, she needed to recruit a small but dedicated team who shared her mindset of wanting to help people be fit for life.
Jenny and her assistant Mark began looking for a larger property, and as Jenny had moved to Lewes 17 years ago and loved everything about the town, it seemed the prominent location for a second Body Happy branch.
“It took about a year-and-a-half to find where we are now,” she says. “My vision was for a low-key, multi-purpose centre. It feels more like a spa than a gym, bright and airy, warm and welcoming. I love gardening, so we have lots of plants around and a stunning LED ceiling. As well as the gym there’s two studios, where we can hold a variety of classes and two therapy rooms.
“I took a long time to select equipment for the gym as I didn’t want heavy, bangy weights or big machines which can seem daunting and intimidating.
“We chose magnetic resistance machines which are state-of-the-art but also very user-friendly. We can go round with members, setting up individual pieces of equipment for them. After that, all they need to do is tap their membership card on the machine’s screen, and the right settings will be there for them.
“The machines are quite mesmerising – you can follow the dots on screen which record the gold stars you’re gaining, but you can control movements and your breathing pattern safely. The settings can be adjusted at any time. They are great pieces of equipment.”
The philosophy at Body Happy is for every member to build up a one-to-one relationship with a single member of staff and to be flexible at all times, tailoring programmes to whatever challenges members face, which can change along an individual fitness journey. Flexibility also applies to the membership packages that people choose.
“At Hove, we introduced a variety of packages which can be tailored to particular wants and needs. Members found that very beneficial, so we are doing the same in Lewes,” Jenny says.
“We meet new members to assess where they want to get to and identify the best solutions and way forward for them. Their package will be tailored for them, and they know there will be no additional charge for anything that is built into it.
“A package can also be changed depending on their circumstances at the time, for instance, if they have a new challenge to face. We had one client who came to us when she was starting to train to run a marathon, so we were able to vary what she was doing as her fitness built up and also introduce massage when she began to get a few twinges.
“We’re here to help people achieve their goals while remaining motivated, invigorated and wanting to come back for more every time.”
Lower Ground Floor, 40-42 Friars Walk,
Lewes East Sussex BN7 2LE
Mon – Fri: 6:30am – 10:00pm
Weekends and Bank Holidays: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Email: info@body-happy.co.uk Tel: 01273 916 900
Body-happy.co.uk