Night Sweats Fitness Buffs Love New, Round-The-Clock Schedule At Health Club

It’s midnight. Cinderella’s carriage has just turned into a … treadmill.

OK. So her name is really Athena Duffy and she’s lifting some weights. But it is midnight.

Since 24-Hour Fitness took over Sta-Fit, late-night exercise enthusiasts now have a chance to work out when they want.

“I’m a night person … I was frustrated before,” Duffy said. “But this is so nice now. I can work out when I want. It’s not crowded. I don’t feel intimidated.”

Duffy is an Spokane Falls Community College student and works at Premier Video from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. After work, she heads to the gym for a workout until about 1 a.m. Then she hits the hot tub before heading home. It’s a perfect schedule for her.

“We see a lot of shift workers. And serious body builders who want the place to themselves,” said Karen Wischmann, 24-Hour Fitness district manager.

On a recent night at the Valley facility, nine people were taking advantage of the club’s around-the-clock hours, despite icy roads outside.

Wischmann said she’s known mothers to come in late at night after their husbands come home and can stay with the kids.

“It’s all about finding the time,” she said.

For three workers from Johnson Matthey Electronics, working out after their 2-10 p.m. swing shift is the perfect way to relax.

“It makes it nice. You don’t have to try and fit it into the day. And you don’t have to wait for equipment,” said Jason Martin.

His coworkers, Candy Taylor and E.J. Yarber, said they took advantage of the new hours as soon as they were available this past November.

“We come here and work out together. It’s a great way to unwind and have fun after work,” Taylor said.

Wischmann said the pace usually picks up around 2 a.m. and stays busy until 3. (This is presumably because shifts are ending, as opposed to bars closing.) The early, early risers start coming in around 5 a.m.

Four young men playing basketball said it was great to not have to fight for a court. They said being somewhere early in the morning was not a concern and they like being able to play when they want to.

Bodybuilder Chad Benedict enjoys the solitude of the late-night workout.

“It’s great. There’s nobody here. It’s quiet,” he said. “You don’t have to share equipment. It’s nice to come in and get to work on whatever you want.”

The buff Benedict said the schedule works well for him. He doesn’t have to be to his job in the men’s suits department of Nordstrom until 10 or 11 a.m.

After he gets off work, he goes home and has dinner, unwinds and then goes and works out.

It’s all about finding the time.

“You’ve got to put it in your schedule,” Benedict said. “It’s got to be part of your day.”

Or your night.