By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

CHELSEA – Personal fitness is a priority for Chelsea’s Wesley and Sabrina White, but when they started having children, the couple’s routine trips to the gym became more complicated than they expected.

“They didn’t like going,” Sabrina said of their four daughters, who range from 4 months to 10 years in age. “It was very tough for them to go sit and do nothing.”

The couple’s solution was to create a gym where their girls could play or participate in fitness classes for kids, and where the whole family would feel comfortable and safe in a family-oriented environment.

“That’s really what we’re going for,” Wesley said.

After nearly a year of planning and labor, Wesley and Sabrina opened Chelsea Family Fitness, a 6,600-square-foot facility located next to Walmart off U.S. 280 in Chelsea.

“We’ve been trying to open this business since December 2014,” Sabrina said. “We have always wanted to work together and own our own business.”

Chelsea Family Fitness opened the morning of Jan. 4, and by mid-afternoon, numerous people had come in to sign up for memberships and group fitness classes, Wesley said.

“We had quite a big turnout,” he said. “We’ve been pretty excited about it. We’ve had a pretty strong first day.”

Group classes taught by certified personal trainers will be offered on a quarterly schedule. Currently, classes include cycle revolution, strength, Zumba taught by trained instructors and others listed on the gym’s website, Chelseafamilyfitness.com.

Fitness classes are offered for kids age 7-12.

The gym features a wide range of workout circuit training equipment and free weights.

The childcare area includes a large chalkboard, plenty of space for free play, free WiFi, a television and a Wii Fit game system.

The area also has recorded surveillance. Five cameras are positioned at different points around the gym.

“There will be some outdoor fitness, too,” Sabrina said. “We still have some polishing, but we’re fully ready to go.”

Before opening the gym, Sabrina worked as a regional sales director in home healthcare. She and Wesley met through work, as he is in IT and loads homecare data for companies.

Athleticism is prominent in both of their backgrounds. Sabrina did gymnastics growing up and was a scholar athlete in high school, placing at state in pole vaulting. Wesley did cross country, baseball and other sports. In 2013, he won Mr. Birmingham in the NPC Vulcan Classic bodybuilding competition.

Sabrina said the two are happy to be working together again.

“It’s not difficult,” she said. “We’ve worked together before. It’s been fun.”

Chelsea Family Fitness is located at 16145 U.S. 280. For more information, call 677-2222.