Article: Lifestyles Magazine Prague: BUYING INTO BALANCE – Well-being doesn’t come cheap
Do you like to work out in complete comfort? Are you a fan of high-end exercise equipment in a luxury setting? Looking for a place to “coddle your most expensive organ”? Look no further than Balance Club Brumovka, the newest addition to Prague’s array of upscale fitness centers – and one step beyond.
Balance Club Brumlovka opened in early April, in the BB Centrum complex that has become developer PasserInvest’s most recent claim to fame. While the ultramodern complex houses retail space, restaurants and bars, a garden-cum-park, a reception and catering area, and 30,000 square meters of office premises, it is the state-of-the-art fitness club that has been generating all the buzz of late.
That is, if you can afford top heller for your health. You’re unlikely to see anyone making use of Balance Club Brumlovka’s facilities who didn’t just change out of an expensive suit into equally expensive matching spandex or sweat pants. Just as you’re unlikely to see anyone actually sweat. But that is why Balance Club is here; high-income earners who like to work hard and play hard is the raison d’etre for this idyllically appointed fitness center.
Please don’t call it a “gym”… a gymnasium is where old, sweaty guys with hairy backs go to toss a medicine ball back and forth. Balance Club is not only a place to exercise, it’s a center for “wellness”, a place where members are afforded the opportunity to “feel wonderful in their own bodies.” How does the club endeavor to do this? By providing not only the necessary equipment, but also the atmosphere and personal attention required for clients to maximize their energy.
In addition to congenial personal trainers, the club boasts PhDr. Jan Vrabec, CSc. as one of it’s founders. A 17-year veteran of fitness management, Vrabec is the General Manager responsible for the Balance Club’s wellness philosophy, as well as it’s strategic marketing. “Everybody needs some physical exercises as well as rest and relax. The Balance Club Brumlovka aspires to help, being a place where you can relieve stress through physical exercises as well as relaxation,” explains Vrabec. Sound good? Well, apparently the city’s professional class thinks so – response to the club has been remarkably positive.
Philosophy aside, when it comes to facilities, Balance Club’s originators have spared no expense. Members can make use of a decked-out cardio and fitness zone equipped with a unique mix of the top-of-the-range STAR TRAC® machines, two large, fully air-conditioned aerobic halls and a spacious spinning hall. There’s also an aqua and relaxation zone, which comprises a 25-meter swimming pool, whirlpool, saunas, steam rooms and a tepidarium. A sun deck with a Japanese sauna compliments the upscale concept.
Service standards are what you might expect in a fitness center of this caliber. Everything from individual exercise plans and performance diagnostics to consultations on healthy eating and food supplements is offered, as well as special programs on weight control, stress management, and correction of muscle imbalances. For hard-working parents who need to relax with some physical exertion and adult-type pampering, there’s also a children’s play area. But one of the most useful innovations is the employment of a digital-age system available to members, whereby no cash need be carried around, and everything from locker security to your bar/refreshment tab is encoded in your private card-chip.
Balance Club Brumlovka aspires to operate on a similar level as luxury fitness centers in major cities around the world, and so far it seems that there are enough people in Prague clamoring to “attain physical and mental wellbeing” for the club to meet that end. And what does it cost to feel wonderful in your own body at Balance Club? Well, as the old saying goes, if you have to ask, you can’t afford to sweat here.
