{"id":221519,"date":"2026-01-07T13:59:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T13:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/221519\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T13:59:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T13:59:08","slug":"ex-teacher-and-fitness-instructor-opens-new-studio-after-health-clubs-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/221519\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-teacher and fitness instructor opens new studio after health club’s closure"},"content":{"rendered":"

A fitness instructor who previously ran independent classes at Carrefour Health Club has opened a new studio in Douglas following the gym\u2019s closure after nearly 25 years.<\/p>\n

Kim Bezance has launched a With Kim studio behind the capital\u2019s Marks & Spencer supermarket. <\/p>\n

The move comes after the Carrefour Health Club announced last year that it would permanently close at the end of November, citing rising operational costs and ongoing financial pressures.<\/p>\n

In a statement issued at the time, the health club said it had become increasingly difficult to maintain expected service levels despite efforts to reduce expenses and operate with fewer staff. <\/p>\n

Studio classes ended on October 31, while the main gym remained open until November 30, 2025. <\/p>\n

Ms Bezance, who ran fitness classes from Carrefour\u2019s studio spaces, said the closure prompted her to secure a permanent base for her work.<\/p>\n

\u2018When Carrefour announced it was closing, I knew I\u2019d have to find my own premises,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

Before moving into fitness full time, Ms Bezance worked as a primary school teacher. She said she initially trained as a fitness instructor while continuing to teach, starting with one class a week.<\/p>\n

\u2018I just kind of fell into it,\u2019 she said. \u2018My sister is a fitness trainer and suggested I train as a fitness instructor. I started with one class a week and just loved it.\u2019<\/p>\n

As demand grew, she gradually increased the number of sessions she offered before leaving teaching to focus on fitness full time. She now runs a range of classes including HIIT, cardio, boxing and spin.<\/p>\n

Ms Bezance said her background in education continues to influence how she approaches fitness instruction.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m still shouting \u2013 just at adults instead,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

\"Kim<\/p>\n

Kim Bezance in her new spin studio (n\/a)<\/p>\n

The new With Kim premises include both a general fitness studio and a dedicated spin room, which Ms Bezance said allows her to offer a broader timetable and continue developing her classes following the closure of Carrefour.<\/p>\n

Music<\/a> plays a central role in her sessions, with workouts choreographed to playlists she creates herself.<\/p>\n

\u2018I love building playlists,\u2019 she said. \u2018A good track will drop and you just go.\u2019<\/p>\n

She said inclusivity remained a key focus, with classes designed to accommodate a wide range of abilities and fitness levels.<\/p>\n

\u2018I offer low-impact options and advanced options – I cater for everyone,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

The With Kim studio is based alongside other wellness businesses operating beneath Prime Studios, including Born Slippy Wax Studio and Paracise with Donna. <\/p>\n

Announcing Carrefour Health Club\u2019s planned closure online in October last year, a spokesperson said it was in the process of calculating refunds for pre-paid memberships and will contact affected members directly. <\/p>\n

The club also held a series of farewell events in November last year as part of efforts to mark its final weeks in business and to thank members, instructors, suppliers and the wider community<\/a> for their support over the years.<\/p>\n

The closure marked the end of nearly a quarter of a century of business for the Douglas facility.<\/p>\n

You can book classes through downloading Kim\u2019s app \u2018With Kim\u2019 through the app store on your mobile device, with classes taking place in the designated studio below Prime Performance on Prospect Hill. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A fitness instructor who previously ran independent classes at Carrefour Health Club has opened a new studio in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":221520,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-221519","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/221520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}