West Plains Fitness premieres as area's locally owned, operated health club

By CARA LORELLO

Staff Reporter

So, you want to get a start on that New Year's resolution to improve your health and fitness, but don't want drive too far to join a gym?

West Plains Fitness, the area's premier locally owned and operated health club, wants to help area citizens achieve their health goals through the services available at its state-of-the-art facility, located at 1515 South Technology Lane off of Highway 2, directly behind the Bank of Whitman.

Spokane Valley couple Todd and Beth Mathison opened the new club on Jan. 1 with an official ribbon cutting and all-day open house that featured grand opening specials to new members who received $50 off their initiation fee.

Opening their business, the owners said, was a project that began several years ago with the Mathisons, both longtime employees of Airway Heights company Metals Fabrication Co. Inc., scouring the West Plains for the right building to locate a fitness center.

It was a business the area didn't have, but Mathison believed there was a potential market for. Locations in Cheney, Medical Lake, Airway Heights and Liberty Lake were surveyed, but nothing seemed right.

The timing wouldn't be right until early 2007, when Spokane developer Richard Vandervert, of Vandervert Construction Inc., offered the Mathisons the space at one of the company's buildings on the West Plains.

“This was actually the first building we looked at when we were first looking to open the center, but it wasn't available at the time,” Mathison said.

“The timing just kind of fell into our laps this time.

It worked out great for us,” he added.

The club occupies about one third of the space within a brick building complex just east of Airway Heights.

The completed portion of the club currently covers 5,300 square feet and offers a wide range of cardiovascular, strength and general fitness training equipment.

This includes areas specifically reserved for cardio machines such as ellipticals, treadmills, recumbent and upright bikes, steppers, rowers, plus separate areas for circuit weight training and free weights. The workout area features a modular cable system, 20-foot ceilings, mirrors and rubber flooring.

As a longtime fitness enthusiast and having business ties to the local health club industry, Mathison said past experiences have given him a feel for what clientele needs are in terms of services and the quality that's expected.

“I've seen what works and what doesn't work in this business, and we're only going to offer the best amenities,” he said.

Besides the brand new equipment, other amenities include men and women's changing rooms, showers and a locker area for easy storage.

Other services include personal training starting at a $45 per hour rate, for which the Mathisons have hired two trainers. If the service gets a high demand from customers, they may hire more.

In addition to providing a nearby outlet for health and fitness needs, West Plains Fitness wants to contribute to the local community, Mathison said.

There are plans to have the club feature youth fitness programs and other interactive activities as a joint effort with the city's recreation programs, which Mathison, an 18-year wrestling coach, said he may pursue once the business takes off.

The owners have plans to expand the club's current space to roughly 8,000 square feet to free up space as membership increases and reserve areas for programs such as group fitness classes, which will be selected based on customer demand.

“We want to see what the interest out here is,” Beth Mathison said of the types of classes the club will feature.

And as long as membership grows, the club will keep expanding its space, Mathison added.

“The only way we're going to get bigger and better is offering by up the best,” he said.

West Plains Fitness business hours are Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. For membership information, call 744-9378, or visit http://www.westplainsfitness.com.

Cara Lorello can be reached at [email protected]