We recognise everyone’s health and fitness journey is personal and unique
– Joe Gaunt

WDL Interior Architects have designed what is described as the "UK's first mental health club", with four separate training zones – athletic, cardio, rejuvenate and stronger.

The 10,000sq ft (930sq m) Hero Training Club in Manchester has taken two years to design and build and has four studios variously equipped with facilities to run classes including boxing, HIIT, indoor cycling, circuits, combat training, yoga, pilates and barre.

The zones are accompanied by a dedicated wellbeing hub, with rooms created to support counselling, hypnotherapy and mindfulness, as well as a cryotherapy chamber. Members will also have access to a technology platform offering personal health insights based on tracking their activities and habits.

Joe Gaunt, founder and CEO of Hero, said: "The Hero Group delivers highly successful digital initiatives and high-impact mental health services to global businesses and organisations daily. We're taking the learnings and all the best practice from this part of the business and fusing it with our physical activity innovations to deliver a new health solution."

Gaunt, a former managing director of US-based shared workspace firm WeWork who has also held senior roles at Virgin Active and Fitness First, founded Hero in 2017.

FEATURE: Interview – Joe Gaunt