
A clever new concept is proving the perfect fit for a personal trainer as he builds his business.
Paul Edwards has designed an innovative gym pod which offers unprecedented privacy and expert support to those who are targeting better health and fitness for 2025.
Paul, 41, runs Paul Edwards Fitness, and has had Gym Pod Ruthin installed next to The Centre community hub in the Llanfwrog area of the town.
He and his wife Katie took over the tenancy of The Centre last May and have been breathing new life into the site.
A personal trainer for 20 years, Paul says Gym Pod Ruthin is a first for the region.
He said he had taken inspiration from similar pod concepts in Singapore and London, and had designed the layout himself.
The pod is 20 feet long and eight feet wide, and is eight feet high, and is stacked with the best gym equipment available.
The innovative idea has received a ringing endorsement from the Pendine Arts and Community Trust (PACT) which was established to support arts and community activities by Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill, the owners of the Pendine Park care organisation.
Paul said: “Mario and Gill have been very supportive in helping to promote the gym pod.
“They have been very kind in their support of the concept.”
Paul said one of the advantages of Gym Pod Ruthin is that users, who might have a bit of anxiety when entering a traditional gym or who might feel awkward because they don’t know how to use the equipment, have total privacy while using the facility.
He said: “Nobody can see in when you’re in the pod, it’s totally private.
“The idea behind it, is that it will serve people who really don’t want to go to a busy gym and to be able to feel more confident in using the equipment.
“And I can give them a workout plan free of charge when they come and join.
“The pod is also great for someone who has recently had a new-born or has pre-school children.
“They can bring their child with them while they work out.”
Using top of the range technology, Gym Pod Ruthin allows users to book a session online where they are given a unique code to the door of the pod.
And for that session, they, and up to two friends, have personal, private and exclusive use of the facility and its wide range of gym equipment.
Paul, from Denbigh, said: “I wanted to put a gym pod somewhere locally and I came up with the concept and the design, and from there we put it all together.
“We used a company called I T Williams which are local to Ruthin.
“They manufactured it and helped with the design and then we put it all together, making sure that everything fitted in properly, safely and securely.
“I’ve created a booking system where you book online, you can book an hourly slot or longer if you wish.
“You then get pinged your four-digit access code and then you access the door and have personal use of the pod.
“The maximum number of people in the pod at any one time is three and you select that when you book.”
Father-of-two Paul said help was at hand if users needed support and advice on how to use the pod’s equipment.
A television has been fitted in the pod which has access to the internet and to a specialist fitness app.
He explained: “We have teamed up with a company called Fiit App so if you’re unsure about what you’re doing in the gym, you just put the TV on, choose your fitness training session, choose an instructor and you just follow what they tell you to do.
“It’s perfect if you want to do a cardio workout, or a dumbbell workout, or a rebalance workout or any other fitness goals.
“You can link it to your Fiit Watch which will track how many calories you have burned and track your heart rate.
“We have a Facebook and Instagram pages where I will be uploading videos to give people ideas on exercises they can do in the pod.
“The booking system is simple – you can book an hourly slot on a pay-as-you-go system or you can pick a monthly subscription and that is worked on a credit system where you can purchase four credits, eight credits or 12 credits a month and you then book the pod when you want.”
Sessions can be booked from the early morning to late into the evening and Paul said he came up with the idea after researching the gym pod concept.
He said: “There has been interest and a lot of curiosity and everything is working well, so now we’re into the new year we are looking to promote it further.
“People who have used it have been very positive especially regarding the type of equipment and the privacy of the pod.
The gym pod project received part funding from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund via the Cadwyn Clwyd social enterprise organisation.
Paul said the UK Shared Prosperity Fund contributed £17,248 towards the pod cost of £28,000.
Paul leads various public classes and several private training sessions for people in the local area.
He said: “I take PT classes, one on one, or one on two people, and then we have got classes that we do here at The Centre.”
Paul said he and his fitness training colleague Matthew Kerry provide fitness classes to around 300 people a week.
The site, including the building, is owned by a community interest company, the Llanfwrog Community Association, and leased to Denbighshire County Council, with the various sporting activities being operated by different tenants.
Anybody wanting to book a session in the Gym Pod should go to https://thegympodruthin.simplybook.it/v2/
