Shred Shed: West Otago couple’s fitness studio gets rural communities moving

Shred Shed owners Jessica and Blair Young in their training studio in the Tapanui Showgrounds. Photo / Shawn McAvinue

A new fitness studio is bringing people together in West Otago. Blair and Jessica Young talk to Shawn McAvinue about their aspirations for their business in Tapanui and how it is bringing many rural people together - except for older men.

A West Otago couple have big dreams for their new business and want to bring more rural communities together.

Blair and Jessica Young, of Heriot, opened a fitness training studio in a corrugated-iron-clad shed on the Tapanui Showgrounds in January this year.

More than 150 people were members, she said.

“It has been going really good.”

She believed the membership would grow.

“It is a small town but it is a big area.”

Blair said they opened the business after recognising a need for a studio in West Otago.

Jessica said they were passionate about group fitness training.

“You get such a buzz afterwards.”

They often heard from people in West Otago about how they would like a group training facility opened closer to home, Blair said.

“We thought we will then.”

They leased the shed from the West Otago A&P Society, to gauge if the business was viable.

A short-term goal was to buy land in Tapanui and build a “rustic shed” to house a studio, she said.

Blair and Jessica Young have set up a fitness studio in West Otago. Photo / Shawn McAvinue

“It is definitely feasible.”

A long-term goal was to franchise the business and have a Shred Shed in more rural communities.

She believed it was economically feasible to franchise the business.

“Small towns get underestimated but everyone is willing to support local.”

Blair, who was better known by his nickname Tubby, came up with the business name.

Shred is a reference to losing body fat through fitness training.

Jessica embraced the name as soon as she heard it.

“I loved it as soon as Tub said it because it is quirky and easy to remember.”

She said a motivation for opening the studio was because fitness training brought a community together.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone needs to do it for their health.”

The members ranged from children to pensioners.

“We have such a big range of ages - all different types of people coming in to do one thing and it’s fun.”

Members included a group of women, mostly farmers’ wives, aged between 40 and 70, some of whom had never exercised before and were now attending group classes regularly.

Some members had found the workouts to be “life-changing” and a way to connect with the community.

“It is massive in a rural community because some people are so isolated.”

When some of the women first attempted an exercise they would lose their balance and fall over. Now they were steady and lifting heavy weights.

“Their balance and confidence has come a long way - it is quite emotional.”

A demographic under-represented in the studio was older men - “those old farmers”.

She believed they were staying away because of a perceived stigma about working out in a gym.

Strength training was vital for anyone wanting to stay healthy, she said.

Blair said strength training would help older farmers battling bad backs from years of bending over drenching sheep.

Jessica said although farm work helped people remain active, group training was a different type of fitness.

“It is functional fitness what you do here, helps you out on the farm, like chucking a hay bale on a truck.”

Blair said people doing group fitness often found they could better handle physical work on the farm.

“You tend not to be as knackered at the end of the day.”

He works for the family business Heriot Earthmoving, whose clients are mostly farmers.

His maternal grandfather, Ian Aitchison, sold the business in 1996 after owning it for decades.

Blair and his father Murray Young bought back the business in 2000.

Business was steady.

“We are still busy - farmers are cutting costs where they can but they are still doing what they have to.”

He made his debut for the Heriot Rugby Club in 2001.

The front-rower played his 300th game for the club this year.

He struggled to answer a question on whether he was planning to play any more games for the club next season.

“No - I am - oh, I injured my shoulder this year, so I’ve probably done my dash.”

Jessica said he had vowed to retire after his 250th game.

“It is always a ‘probably’,” she said.