Aspria as an energy source

‘Energy’ means different things to different people. For some it’s mental, while for others it’s physical – which means each individual has a totally different view on what it takes to feel full of life. We asked a selection of members from across the Aspria group how their club helps them feel energised and revitalised.

We asked a selection of members from across the Aspria group how their club helps them feel energised and revitalised.

“After a stressful day of work, thanks to Aspria, I still have enough energy for me and my private life.” So says Dörthe-Julia Zurmöhle, a member of the Uhlenhorst club in Germany. Aged 39, she’s currently expecting her first child, but she balances this against the high-pressure demands of running her own agency, Nordlicht.

“In the past, my life was so often nothing but work: I had no energy to exercise or even to go to the sauna,” she explains. “My goal when I joined Aspria is 2012 was to become fitter, to have more energy, and to find the right balance between the stress of my job and the relaxation I need to stay healthy.

I’ve been overwhelmed by the difference Aspria has made to my life. It’s become the place I go whenever I want to recharge my energy reserves and regain my inner strength and balance.

I do a lot of yoga and pilates, as well as sauna and massage, but I also have a personal trainer who’s there to really push me. It’s great stress relief.

When I arrive at the club, I leave my everyday life outside, switch off and fill up with energy. A day at Aspria feels like a holiday!”

“After almost seven years without regular sport, I stood in front of the mirror for an honest inventory,” says 43-year-old Roland Koch, a hotelier and member of Aspria Alstertal in Hamburg, Germany. “It was clear I’d gained 1kg or maybe even 1.5kg a year – and course, with that came a lack of energy.”

He continues: “I decided I had to do something about it, so I joined Aspria in 2010 and signed up for personal training, which I committed to doing twice a week.

Since 2010, motion has become part of my life again: I run, I do a number of sports and I do a lot of bodyweight exercise. I have a great friendship with my trainer, which makes the whole process enjoyable and mentally energising. And physically I feel more energetic too, both from being active and from the weight I’ve lost.”

She explains: “After a few years I gave up my membership – I just had too much work. But it was a disaster. Sport quickly becomes like a drug, particularly when you’re doing it in such great surroundings. Aspria had become my second home.”

So, in December 2015, she re-joined the club – and just in time. She suffered a burn-out and it was, she says, Aspria that saved her. “I discovered the joy of solitary swimming. It kept me alive, swimming every day, that sensation of gliding on the water.”

Asked what Aspria has changed in her life, Véronique replies “almost everything”, adding: “I was being cared for by a Japanese shiatsu master. Once I’d been coming to Aspria regularly, he said to me: ‘Your body is like a 25-year-old woman’s. I can’t do anything more for you.’

“That says everything about the benefits of the club, don’t you think?”

“Sport is part of my weekly schedule, but I chose Aspria because I wanted a club that offered more than sports and fitness. Under one roof, I now have everything I need to live well and feel energised: fitness, relaxation and a healthy diet.”

He continues: “I now take my time for myself on a regular basis and pay more attention to what I do. My body needs a short, efficient sports session followed by relaxation, whether that’s in the sauna, meeting friends for dinner in the restaurant, or my favourite activity: relaxing and reading on the roof terrace, enjoying the skies over Berlin.

“That’s my recipe for feeling good. That’s how Aspria helps me feel energised.”

And while he’s used the club’s facilities and expertise to get in shape, it’s the social aspect that gives him the biggest buzz of energy. “I’m someone who loves to communicate,” he explains. “I’m always discussing things with people I meet at the club. Some of them have become friends and I invite them to my home. With others, I have a strong professional relationship. Aspria is my second home – if I can’t go there, it’s like a punishment.”

Such is Patrick’s passion for Aspria and all it brings to his life that he’s treated himself to a parking space right opposite the building. “That sets the tone, doesn’t it?” he smiles.