The Elite Fitness gym based in Spring Valley, Douglas is set to extend its opening times to 24 hours a day.

Launching on Friday December 20, members will be able to use the gym at any time of day or night using the latest in biometric technology, provided by local business ‘Eye-Spy Security’.

The system allows members to use just their fingerprints to validate entry and unlock the internal entry door from reception during the gym’s normal opening hours, which will remain unchanged.

Outside of these hours, members will then be able to enter via a biometric reader on the gym’s external ‘out of hours’ door, and have access to the main gym, cardio zone and changing facilities.

Elite Fitness owner Stefan White said: ‘We had always planned to offer this service to our members and designed the building with it in mind when we relocated last year.

‘As part of our continual member feedback process, we received a lot of suggestions about opening times, especially later at night and at weekends. We thought about extending our working hours, but decided to invest in giving our members maximum flexibility with full 24/7 access.’

Stefan also claimed that this change has come about as a result of working patterns changing following the Covid-19 pandemic.

He added: ‘Since then, people’s working hours, shift patterns and locations have changed. Now with more diverse global industries coming to the island, the working day can be literally any hours of the day or night, so this service really benefits shift workers.

‘We also received feedback from parents who struggled to find time for themselves, often not until their children are in bed, and our closing time of 9pm didn’t then give them sufficient time to complete their training routines.

‘Having the ability to come and exercise at any time that is convenient, and for as long as they like, will hopefully allow more people to be able to benefit and spread the usage of the gym out.

‘It gives members the ultimate choice of how to use the gym when it suits them.’