Take a look around the family-run Belfast gym that has opened the first rooftop workout space in Northern Ireland.
Sloan's Gym in the heart of the city centre, owned by uncle-nephew duo Jonathan and Curtis Sloan, has been open on Chapel Lane for almost four years and has finally made their dream of an open rooftop gym a reality.
Belfast Live stopped by to take a sneak peek at what a training session will look like on the newly opened space which is a unique feature not seen anywhere else north or south of the border.
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Jonathan explained that the vision for an open-top area has been on the cards for as long as they can remember and the whole gym community are delighted to get it up and running coming into the summer months.
He said: "This is something we've been thinking about for a long time - we saw the opportunity to go for it when there was a bit of available funding through Belfast City Council so we thought it would be a great chance now to bring it to everybody here in Belfast.
"We are going to be the only rooftop gym across Ireland and there are very few across Europe so it will be great for everybody to come and have a look for themselves what we have got here.
"It is going to be open to any of our members and we hope to run a few classes that are all included in our memberships - we will have the likes of spin classes, yoga classes, circuit classes, full body classes, some boxercise. It is more of a group training area and everybody's welcome."
Despite constant questions about the feasibility of a rooftop gym in a county where the forecast seems to always say rain, Sloan's is fully prepared with a retractable roof that can be used on wetter days and fast-drying flooring to increase accessibility.
Curtis added: "We've always had this great space out here and when Covid hit us, we decided to put a bit of work in and try get our planning in place and see what we were going to do with this.
"We got our planning maybe a couple of months ago and we worked with the 'Vacant to Vibrant' grant scheme with the Belfast Council and they were a great help and put everything together."
Having only opened the rooftop a week ago, they have been able to hold six classes already with a great reception from those lucky enough to be the first to use it.
"People are loving it - even though we are still in the winter right now, it's been great and dry. It's been cold but once you warm up, it's fine," he said.
Curtis continued: "One of the reasons we went to the 'Vacant to Vibrant' grant scheme was for electrical canopy that we got put in that will cover half of the roof that I can use for classes when it is extreme weather. We can also put sides and fronts so it can be used as a room.
"In the summer and when it's dry like this, you'll be outside which will be great - we try to think of every angle to try and get people out here."
He added that the addition is "unbelievable" for their gym community.
"It is double our floor space and nowhere else has a rooftop gym so we are pretty excited about what it is going to do for us. It is going to be a sort of 'suck it and see' thing to see what people want for out here," he said.
"It's 2023, we've just came back from Covid and there is no better time to start the gym - we are here and are a family gym with no intimidation so you'll be looked after."
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