Resolution solution in Kelso

Kieran Doglass and Kelso provost Gavin Horsburgh at the new KD Fit Studio.

January is, of course, one of the busiest months of the year for gyms as people commit to making up for excess over the festive period, or to enact their New Year resolution to get a bit fitter.

Kelso’s newest gym studio, KD Fit, run by Kieran Douglass, aims to help his members to fulfil all that for free for the whole of January.

As Kelso Provost Gavin Horsburgh officially performed the opening ceremony of the premises at Station Yard in the town’s Sprouston Road on Monday, January 2, Kieran was a bit taken aback by the turnout.

He said: “It was insane, way more people than I ever thought there would be, it’s fantastic.

"We seem to have gained a lot of new members, it never stopped all day.”

It’s been a lengthy wait for the new premises, a former tyre-fitters, as Kieran had to apply for a change of use. He had been running classes at the Ednam Village Hall, but had always kept an eye out for premises his members could call their own.

He said: “Members think it’s great … we can now hold 18 classes a week, where it used to be 13.

"The majority is in the studio, but we also have our outdoor boot camps as well.

“We've got new Skiergs (a machine where you pull ropes down as if you're skiing … “absolutely brutal on the body” according to Kieran); rowing machines, air bikes, weights, kettle bells, skipping ropes, battle ropes, step boxes, and loads more.

"The feedback has been amazing. The members who have been with me since the start are so happy to have their own home.

"There’s a members’ lounge as well, with tea and coffee, and a telly on the wall so they can have a chat before and after classes.”

Indeed, Kieran’s plans for the unit extend beyond physical fitness.

He said: “I believe mental health is just as important, and I’m hoping to hold some events to champion this, with the first one planned for March.”

He said he hopes to team up with Black Dog Outdoors, a team of volunteers who believe that outdoor activity is a great way to improve mental health.

Kieran added: “We do hikes over the weekends, and we have some paddleboard events, and in September we are looking at a 10k inflatable assault course, which should be fun.”