Heat2O Fitness Center Opens in Sussex

Featuring nine group fitness classes on Pilates, yoga and more, and stocked with some of the most advanced  machinery on the market, Heat2O opens in Sussex with a bang on Monday.

to open the fitness center, and construction is finally nearing completion. Located on Executive Drive next door to her current , Heat2O is just awaiting a few additional items while employees put on the finishing touches.

However, opening a new business wouldn’t be without its struggles. Welch initially had plans to open the fitness center in early April, but construction delays and missing equipment led to delays in opening the 5,200-square-foot business.

“A lot of the scheduling were just due to construction delays, which is normal,” Welch said. “Crews forgot to drop some sprinklers, so they had to open up the drywall that sets the painter back, and so on… They also broke one of the wall-size mirrors yesterday, so they’re coming back to replace that. People didn’t have the right equipment for the cable TV, and they delivered two wrong pieces of fitness equipment… Things have just been taking longer than I would have liked.”

But with the major components in place, like the top-of-the-line equipment and group fitness schedule, Welch and business manager Brad McGovern are moving forward with opening day.

Heat2O Fitness will feature the following group classes:

• Basic Flow Yoga
• Beginner’s Pilates
• Earth Mom Angel Babe (for new mothers and their children)
• Flow Yoga
• Muscle Mix
• Pilates
• Training Camp
• TRX
• Zumba

Along with offering personal training, Heat2O’s new equipment might be unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Each weightlifting machine counts your reps while timing how long you’ve been working out. In addition, each cardio machine has a TV built in, a place to plug in your iPod and virtual screens that take you jogging anywhere between downtown Chicago to Italy.

“We have a lot of space to grow here, too,” Welch said. “We figured we would see what our customers want and need before we go out and purchase every single type of equipment and fill the space up. If we need more ellipticals or treadmills, we’ll just add more.”

"It’s really flexible. I think a lot of times people are turned off when they feel they need to commit to something for a long time."

While things like free weights, a bench press and lockers coming this week, Welch and McGovern are excited to get people in the door. A grand opening is expected to take place sometime mid-June, and that’s when the fitness center will be 100 percent complete. In the meantime, Welch is already signing up members.

“We have some people already signed up as members,” Welch said. “People can become a member, and there’s no contract… It’s really flexible. I think a lot of times people are turned off when they feel they need to commit to something for a long time. I think people are more inclined to want to work out or come here if they have some control.”

The gym offers things like day passes, passes only for the group fitness classes, or month-by-month passes. Of course, there is a year-long membership, but signing that commitment will save people money when compared to do a month-by-month option. The monthly fee is $42 for one person, and $20 additional dollars for each person wishing to join in on a joint membership.

The icing on the cake, however, is what Heat2O means for Sussex. For the first time ever, the eight-year-old building in Sussex’s industrial park will be filled with thriving businesses, including  and . 

Editor's Note: This article was updated with more accurate membership costs.