
5 minutes with…Naheed Akram
After six months of building and planning, Naheed, owner of MyRooh Fitness in Blaydon was ready to launch when lockdown hit. We caught up with her now she has finally managed to open...

What’s the ethos behind MyRhoo?
“With MyRooh, the idea is to offer a relaxed opportunity to exercise and have fun with friends, colleagues and family at a pace that suits the individual. We want to offer benefits for the mind, body and soul.
“MyRooh Fitness isn’t just about providing a service, it’s important that the surroundings we offer also support our ethos and aims for long-term wellbeing. We want people to feel great as soon as they walk through the door, to when they leave.
“A range of dip-in, dip-out classes are available and the beauty of this type of venue is that it can be tailored to suit the individual, either by participating in one class type routinely or by trying out a variety of new activities, taking the stress out of keeping healthy. This is unique to the North East, however incredibly popular in London.”

And what about the location?
“The derelict building was once an electrical supplier has been completely gutted and turned into a state-of-the-art, airy and contemporary place to nurture the mind, body and soul.
“We’ve got a Juice Bar, making fresh smoothies and juices full of immune-boosting ingredients. Social distancing markers on the floor ensure that customers keep their distance, as well as a strict hygiene policy and staff health checks to keep all customers and employees safe.
“It’s much bigger inside than it looks from the outside, with large airy studios and stylish changing facilities.”

What’s on offer?
“We have a large fitness studio offering a range of classes including dance, barre, fitness, pre and post-natal, pilates and yoga.
“As we have a fully-rounded approach, we also offer a range of therapies on site including cupping, facials, massages, reflexology and nutrition. For those with specific concerns, we also offer packages such as ‘Digital Detox’, ‘Sleep Ritual’ and ‘Gut Restoration’ to address those needs.
“Anyone regardless of age, ability or gender can take part in the classes, workshops & therapies available.”
How are you managing social distancing now you’ve opened?
“We’ve implemented a number of precautions, including a one-way system throughout the studio, a wellbeing questionnaire to complete on booking classes, temperature checks on arrival, floor markings to assist with social distancing in all studios, limited class sizes and a rigorous cleaning and sanitising regime throughout the studio, between classes and throughout the day. I think people are used to having these kinds of measures in place now so it has been going really well since opening.”