VASA Fitness, a new company that replaced all 17 Gold’s Gyms throughout Utah, launched on Nov. 20.
Jamie Nielsen, a junior studying recreation management, experienced the change firsthand that morning, much to her surprise. “I walked into the gym just like any other day, and they took my Golds pass to switch it to a VASA pass,” Nielsen said. “Other than that, I haven’t noticed much change yet. I’m looking forward to see what they do with the place though.”
Major changes are in the future, according to Lynette Felsted, owner of the VASA Fitness gyms. With the brand change will come new aspects for the gyms, including turf field areas and relaxation centers.
“We want people to have the opportunity to leave their problems at the door and have a chance to rejuvenate with a positive fitness environment,” Felsted said. “We hope these changes we are making to the gym will help create that favorable atmosphere.”
Lynette Felsted started Body Firm By Lynette, an aerobics fitness program, in Provo in 1981. She and her husband eventually partnered with the Gold’s Gym franchise. Now they have now chosen to break from Gold’s Gym, allowing them to run the gym in ways they feel will benefit the members and promote their vision of positive fitness experiences.
“We now have more freedom to get back to our original roots, back to what it was founded upon in the 1980s, which is promoting health in an uplifting manner,” Felsted said.
VASA is Latin for “inner vessel.” The company promotes a personal voyage to inner happiness through physical and emotional health.
Tanner Combs, a BYU student in American Studies, has been regularly attending Gold’s Gym and anticipates what the changes will bring for VASA Fitness. “New and nicer equipment is always nice, if that is included in this change,” Combs said. “And I’ll be looking forward to the upgrades. But I guess I don’t really understand why they are changing names/brands? It doesn’t really matter to me as long as I can still work out there on the existing contract I have.”
The new logo is now adjusted on most signage outside of the gyms, on the employee uniforms, and even on gear and equipment.
Aside from the former Gold’s Gym sites, a new VASA Fitness location will open in January 2015 in Riverton.
The company plans to continue to grow and expand outside of Utah.
