Parkwood Leisure has invested more than £1m over the past 12 months in new fitness equipment, as part of the operator’s plans to upgrade its leisure centres and improve its offering to members.

In partnership with Life Fitness, Parkwood Leisure has installed new gym equipment in more than 20 of its leisure centres across England and Wales.

This includes the new Tarka Leisure Centre, which opened in North Devon in June. The 110-station gym is one of the operator’s largest fitness facilities, and forms part of the new £15m site which is also home to three group exercise studios, two pools, six indoor tennis courts, and outdoor sports facilities.

Over £200,000 has also been invested in the Vale of Glamorgan’s Penarth and Barry Leisure Centres, with both facilities receiving full gym equipment upgrades in December.

Group indoor cycling studios at Rushcliffe Arena, Cardiff International Pool, Hengrove Park and Sidcup Leisure Centres were all upgraded with new ICG® bikes, providing users with a unique group cycling experience through ICG®’s Coach by Color training system. The four facilities also saw upgrades across the gym floors, with new strength equipment, as well as cardio with the latest technology and entertainment options, also installed.

Members at Bicester, Scotch Horn, and Erith Leisure Centres, alongside Parkwood Health and Fitness in Salisbury, have also benefited from new strength training equipment, whilst further equipment upgrades have been made to the gyms at Crook Log, Crosby, and Penzance Leisure Centres.

Commenting on the investment, Alex Godfrey, Operations Director at Parkwood Leisure, said: “The gyms are at the heart of many of our leisure centres and it’s vital that we keep up to date with industry trends, and continue to evolve our offering to make sure we’re catering to our members’ needs.

“Fitness equipment is also only one area that we’ve invested in, and with over £1m spent in our gyms this year alone, we’re helping to encourage even more people to get healthy and active within the communities that we serve, with further plans underway for investment in a number of sites over the next six months.”

As well as the new facility upgrades already planned, next year will also see the launch of the new £16m Bingham Arena in Rushcliffe, which is set to open in early 2023.