24 Hour Fitness have just celebrated their 15th anniversary, and owner Michael Jeffrey says his clients now know much more about fitness than when he first opened his gym.“There has always been a good understanding that it is important to get exercise every day, “ he said, but with the advent of the internet, “clients are more informed”, he said.A big change in the world of fitness is a recent one, with a new exercise philosophy emerging that a 30 minute-a-day regime is “a good way to go”.He explained the method involves bursts of high intensity training, rather than several hours of more moderate exercise. “It gets your metabolism up,” he explained. “It’s utilising the fight or flight reflex that we all come from.”He explained that he had been a fitness buff at college, and triathlete once he returned home, so getting into the sports industry was a natural step for him. He opened 24 Hour Fitness on May 22, 1998 at 76, North Shore Road.Today, the gym, which is opposite Shelly Bay Park in Hamilton Parish has expanded and consists of two separate gym areas, one devoted to weights, and a second for circuit training.24 Hour Fitness's cardio machines are all Life Fitness products and feature heart rate sensors or polar heart rate sensor technology and television screens with over 100 channels, including music channels.The stack weight machines are the brand Future Gym, and the dumbbells are chrome-handled, Teflon-finished made by Cemco, and run all the way to a hefty 130 pounds.The gym also has Cemco Olympic plates which run from five pounds to 45 pounds for the serious weightlifters to stack up.Mr Jeffrey explained that the economic downturn had been a challenging period, and in addition new gyms have opened so there is more competition. However, he said 24 Hour Fitness boasts what are probably the lowest rates on the island on a sliding scale and they also offer flexible plans which allow people to take time off from the gym without having to pay a penalty to come back.Daily rates are $15 and weekly rates are $40. For longer periods there is a one-off initiation fee of $60, then monthly rates are $100, while quarterly are $250 and tertial are $330, semi-annual are $475 and annual fees are $880.They also offer student and corporate rates — and to celebrate their anniversary they are offering very nearly 15 percent off through the end of June.The fact the gym is open 24 hours a day, is, he said: “My largest selling feature,” because of the flexibility that offers. He said 24 Hour Fitness used to be busy all night, but today it is also busy during the day.The fact they are centrally located for Bermuda’s east enders is also helpful as those clients can come in after work or before work — although the gym owner said he also has clients who live and work in the west end but travel to Shelly Bay to come to they gym.Useful website: www.24hourfitness.bm