A personal trainer from Harrogate has decided to end his classes after more than 30 years due to coronavirus restrictions.
Ray Thomson started Pulse Beats circuit training in 1989. He has taught thousands over the years and has done most of his classes in recent years at Harrogate Grammar School.
But with tough requirements on indoor exercise Mr Thomson does not believe that his classes are viable anymore. He will still continue with his sports and posture massages.
When Ray Thomson made the announcement he was inundated with messages of support and memories from his former students.
A fancy dress picture from the archives in the 1990s.
Mr Thomson said:
“I wanted to leave a legacy where people fondly remember the classes as a place where they had fun.
“Exercise should never be a chore, it should be something you enjoy.
“One of my favourite memories was when we had a noise complaint from one of our neighbours. We were whooping and hollering when he was watching Coronation Street.”
When the Stray Ferret asked Mr Thomson if he would ever start the classes again, he said “never say never” but added that now was not the time.
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Mr Thomson also raised fears about Harrogate’s exercise industry after the news that one of his former colleagues was forced to put Gambaru fitness into liquidation.
He added that the exercise industry has been hit by coronavirus and there will be more closures to come but he believes that a resurgance will follow.
