Wednesday, March 05, 2008 Fitness in one By Arch’t. Karl A.E.F. Cabilao, UAP
BUILDINGS have long adapted to the local culture’s inclination for a one-stop destination.
Just like Philippine architecture, which often traces its roots to the bahay kubo, the “one-stop” concept looks back to the quaint sari-sari store. It is where you can find everything you need, especially stuff for household chores. Then the idea it evolved into huge malls that embrace almost an entire line-up of merchandise and services.
Pouncing on this concept is the Holiday Spa and Gym in Banilad, Cebu City. Catering to a more specific clientele (fitness buffs), the center continues to be a terminus for tired souls looking for stress and calorie busting activities.
Gym operations manager, Veronica Enriquez, shares that most of their clients have considered the fitness center as their second home.
“Many of them spend almost the entire day here, from doing their gym workout and classes, taking a healthy lunch at the coffee shop until getting their massage at the spa,” says Enriquez.
And yes, the fitness center is a paradise for exercise and recreation. Tucked some meters away from the main road, the center hands out a peaceful atmosphere where you can shed out some sweat.
The main building houses the gym and the spa. There is also a salon near the reception area and just across the coffee shop. The center has a drop-in day care area for children who tag along with their parents who workout. The management will soon convert this into a sports shop, called H Boutique.
At the second floor, a rubberized 240-meter jogging track takes the place of the building’s all-around balcony.
In the other building, badminton enthusiasts will surely enjoy strutting their stuff on five, taraflex courts. Between the two structures is a four-foot deep, 25x10-meter swimming pool, which is half of the Olympic standard size. A third edifice will soon rise to house the basketball courts.
With not so much time to waste on traffic-congested roads, as you transfer from one place to another, the health and figure conscious can truly exhale with relief. The spa effectively answers the need for an ultimate stop for fitness and good living.
