Studio One has the antidote to the never-ending battle for summer fitness: the island’s only cardio theatre.

Five treadmills, four elliptical machines, an upright bike, a recumbent bike and a water rower all face the big screen.

If the mere thought of exercising in July temperatures gives you heatstroke or pounding the treadmill kills your motivation, group fitness manager Christina Dotson suggests you give it a try.

“It’s better than staring at a blank wall,” she said. They play one movie a day, on repeat.

Weekends host TV marathons and Ms Dotson said they respect all genres.

“Monday is our action adventure day, Tuesdays would be our romantic comedy, Wednesdays sci-fi, Thursdays comedy, Fridays documentaries.”

A soft release of the cardio theatre in December last year saw an increase in gym membership.

“The feedback has been positive,” she said.

“Most people say it encourages them to increase their intensity, to go faster, to stay longer.

“The biggest comment that we’ve gotten is: ‘What’s the name of the movie? It made me stay longer. I was only going to do 30 minutes today, but I’ve been here for an hour and 15 minutes because I have to see how it ends.’

“It’s quite motivating for people to stay, especially if they like it.”

She said the Victoria Street studio has aimed to provide something “unique” since it opened two years ago.

“Times are changing.

“A traditional gym model was not the direction we wanted to go.

“We wanted to be different, but also appeal to the public,” she told Lifestyle.

“As group fitness instructors we realise that if we are really good at what we do, we can essentially carry the gym.”

The studio brings in professionals at least twice a year to train their instructors, a faculty that has grown to 15.

‘We’ve got high intensity interval classes. We have weightlifting classes. We have cardio classes, mixed martial arts, yoga, barre.

“The classes are full, but you get great instruction as well. They’re all unique and they appeal to everybody,” the 34-year-old said.

“There’s something about the group effect, working together. All sorts of studies show that you’re more likely to come back if you’re working out in a group versus solo. One of our goals is to take you through a fitness journey. We get you through the workout, produce the high, so when you get back to work and sit down you start to feel it.”

• Studio One is open from 5am-8pm Monday-Friday, 6.30am-2pm on Saturdays and 8am-2pm on Sundays. www.studioone.bm