Arthritis and age are no barrier to fitness fanatic Dennis Dean, who is regularly seen at the YMCA gym twice a day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Like clockwork, the 66-year-old can be seen perched on an exercise bike peddling away past feelings of pain and discomfort.
In just 10 weeks he's ridden himself of eight kilos and found the exercise high that keeps people coming back - day in, day out.
While it was a struggle getting back into the routine of exercise after a 20 years hiatus, these days he can't miss a session.
"I'm looking forward to being able to come on Sunday afternoons, and not being restricted to just mornings," Mr Dean said.
"Exercise has made all the difference to me. I was 95 kilograms, had high blood pressure and as an ageing person I was losing my natural strength."
He said he is looking forward to the flexibility of a 24/7 gym, so those little hiccups in life don't get in the way.
"I am looking forward to being able to go for a trip or go to Darwin, and not have to worry about when I am getting back," he said.
The manager of the YMCA Darren Powell said demand had skyrocketed for longer opening hours at the gym, especially with the majority of dry season sport coming to an end in Katherine.
"The wet season is our peak time, it is getting hot and sport has finished up," he said.
"People want air con, and those who were training twice a week and playing games on the weekend for one of the dry season sports now all of a sudden don't have that."
He said the move to 24/7 gym access was in response to member feedback, with shift workers like police and health workers frequenting the gym often.
"It is the biggest thing we hear about on customer feedback forms," Mr Powell said.
"We have a lot of people who want to be able to train whenever they want, and it is very important that our members get the best out of their health and fitness."
They YMCA also re-purposed a previously unused space into a women's only gym in July, in an effort to help first timers build confidence and get fit.
The 24/7 gym access will be launched at the YMCA on Saturday, October 12.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday at 6am from the Katherine Times. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.
