Revitalise gym in Whanganui shuts doors, owner runs own business online

Revitalise Natural Health and Fitness Centre has closed its doors, as owner Audrey McCosh moves her time and energy towards her online business. Photo / Paul Brooks

After 12 years in the gym business, Whanganui's Revitalise Natural Health and Fitness Centre has closed its doors.

The Guyton St gym closed earlier this week, with local gym Club Fitness set to move into the facility.

Previously on Wilson St and Victoria Ave, owner Audrey McCosh said there were mixed emotions.

"There are lots of emotions about not helping clients and being there for them, but it is also celebrating this is whole new chapter in my life."

McCosh made the decision several weeks before lockdown after a stressful and hectic time.

"It got to the point where I was working 14 hours a day, seven days a week. I think I had one day off in 49 days."

McCosh said the stress of running a business and worrying about overheads took away from her true passion, helping clients with their diet and overall health.

"My job is to teach balance in life, and I myself was certainly unbalanced.

"The sad thing about Revitalise going is, we were very hands on. We were kinda like a family. We had a lot of women who really loved the help and support. No other gym really offered what we did."

She will now put all her time and resources into her online business, Audrey McCosh Fitness, where she offers workout plans, diets and general health advice and teachings. Each plan is individualised to meet each client's goals and needs.

After going into lockdown in 2020, McCosh began establishing her online presence to continue offering assistance to her clients.

"I started with a 21-day detox programme to help those who had put on weight during the time. It was all new to me, this online marketing and business."

Since then, her profile and clientele continues to grow, adding about 20 new clients each month.

"I'm rapt with the results I'm getting."

She said the lockdown really shook up the way she looked at how she could work, seeing online operation as the potential future.

"I started picking up a lot of clients from word of mouth around New Zealand and started really looking into it as an option."

She sees the move online as a way to do what she loves the most, helping people with their health, while also giving herself a bit more me time.

"My passion is hiking. I've started walking the length of New Zealand bit by bit.

"I'm hoping by being online, I can still tramp, hike and do the things I love to do, as well as running a business. That was the main reason."

She said they had a great run and was a bit saddened to leave, but it was time for change.

"It is really, really sad how it has ended. We wanted to spend a few weeks with the clients and muck around, and it feels like that has been ripped away a bit."