New fitness gym takes shape in Plains

It could be said the “Warrior” spirit is being infused into the site of what will be the Warrior Fitness gym in Plains.

The gym, which is taking shape in the Quonset hut style building that was once occupied by the town’s eye doctor across from Town Hall, will be owned and operated by Becky Fields and her husband, a local electrician, when it opens this summer.

Fields purchased the building a short time ago and began the process of gutting the structure as part of a remodeling effort to convert the 1,500 square feet of space into a multi-faceted workout center.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Fields said. “It all began with a weight loss journey I was on 10 years ago when I found I have a compassion for fitness instructing”.

She gained experience in the profession as the result of her employment with an Oregon gym and has been adding to her fitness resume ever since.

“This is the first venture into this business on my own,” she said. “I want to bring a good workout environment to Plains in a safe and clean facility”.

Fields, a certified Zumba instructor, said the building, which she has been working on the past several weeks, will have room and facilities for fitness opportunities not found in many places in this area.

“We will have a space in the front part of the building for classes like Zumba (a popular form of cardio-vascular training which incorporates dance moves into a challenging workout routine),” she said. “We will also have strength training classes and spin classes as we progress.”

Fields said the gym will also feature free weights and other weight lifting equipment. The facility will have showers and other amenities, including a tanning bed.

“The first phase has been to gut the building and construct the spaces we want,” Fields said. “I’ve spent a long time tearing things down, which is in itself good therapy (she said smiling).”

Once the structure has been reconfigured, new wiring will be installed to make sure the building can accommodate modern electronic devices and programs.

The Warrior name, she said, comes from the spirit of a horse and “best friend” she owned for several years before the animal passed away.

“I was just inspired to use the name of my horse as the name of my business.”

Fields said the gym will be open Monday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., and will be staffed during operational hours.

“I think it is important to have a trained staff member present to assist people who are working out,” she said. She hopes to add trained staff as the business grows.

Fields said when she first moved Plains several months ago, she “hit the streets” handing out flyers and information about the proposed gym and received a very positive response from area residents.

“We received more than 300 responses to the flyers and have used the information gathered as part of our plan to build a business based on what people from this area wanted in a gym,” she said. “The response from the community has been really good, people in this area are really nice and many of them have been hoping a gym like this would open in Plains. We want to have a place where people can work out, learn to listen to their body and feel good about themselves.”

Fields said membership to the gym will be $45 a month, a fee that includes the array of classes Warrior will offer.