New Snap Fitness opens in south Valley

Squeezing workouts into a busy week can be work, especially if your fitness facility is miles away. But Snap Fitness aims to eliminate excuses of inconvenience and make fitness, well, a snap.

South Valley residents can shed the excuses while shedding pounds in the Snap Fitness franchise that opened Aug. 1 at 13514 E. 32nd Ave., in front of Albertsons.

The 3,600-square-foot club forgoes amenities such as a swimming pool, child care and locker rooms to keep costs low while making workouts easy and affordable for members, said club manager and personal trainer Erika Neal. “It is all about being fast, convenient and affordable,” she said.

That’s why Kim and Kevin Potter decided to sign up at Snap Fitness. “It is very convenient. I drive by when I go to work,” said Kim Potter, who was a gymnast in younger years but stopped working out a long time ago.

She said she has already noticed a difference after just a month of membership. “I’ve seen a little bit of muscle come back. After working out, I feel good. I definitely have slept better recently. I have just a little bit more energy.”

With 24-hour key-card access, members can work out any time, any day, Neal said while pointing out the range of cardio and strength training equipment, from stand-up bikes with Internet-based workouts to cardio equipment, circuit weights and free weights.

Snap Fitness is staffed 35 hours a week. It has the added security of video surveillance inside and outside, always-locked doors and an emergency call system.

It has bathrooms and one private shower room and offers use of the jade roller massage bed and a stand-up tanning bed for additional monthly fees.

Neal said members can also access online workout and diet planning tools on the Web site.

While new members said they liked the club atmosphere and basic, no-frills amenities, the location and round-the-clock convenience were the biggest motivators.

That’s why new member Kris Knight said she signed up with her husband and teenage daughter.

“It is really close to where we live. We drive by it. It makes it easy to get there and flexible on the time. We can go anytime we want,” said Knight, adding that their schedule changes a lot, so the hours make it easy to work in workouts around other activities.

Knight still has a membership at another area gym with more amenities than Snap Fitness, but she said the extra drive means they only use their other club in spurts. “This is so convenient for us that we actually go. We are there within five minutes, work out and come home.”

Franchise owner Jeff Spencer opened his first Snap Fitness in 2007 in Pullman, shortly after retiring from the Air Force. He later opened one on the South Hill and one in the Indian Trail neighborhood prior to opening the Spokane Valley location.

“This is the closest one to our house and the one we intend to use as our fitness facility,” said Spencer, adding that the franchise targets neighborhoods that don’t have another fitness facility within several miles.

Since opening the Valley location, Spencer said about 250 members have signed up. He said he hopes to eventually reach 1,000 members there, though members can also use any other Snap Fitness locations.