A fitness equipment business has celebrated its 30th anniversary by announcing a major distribution partnership with an award-winning virtual reality fitness machine – Icaros.

Fitness Options, based in Kirkby, supplies high-end home and commercial fitness equipment alongside the design and installation of bespoke home gym solutions.

Now, as the UK explores a new relationship with the EU, Fitness Options is working closely with the German manufacturer as it seeks to bring a new experience to the UK fitness market.

The award-winning ICAROS is a virtual reality experience to make exercise not only effective but more fun, according to Ray Needham, pictured above and also below with Fitness Options co-owners Wendy Howe and Karl Viner.

“We are celebrating our 30th anniversary of business this year and whilst we fondly look back on the last decade, the future is far more exciting, especially as fitness equipment evolves to become more immersive, as we have seen with the success of virtual reality spin classes,” he said.

“Securing Icaros is, however, quite a coup for us, as nothing like this has even been seen in the UK before. It is an incredible piece of fitness equipment that challenges the body and the mind and is a very immersive experience.

“We look forward to showcasing Icaros at our showroom here in Nottinghamshire but also on the road as it really is a very eye-catching piece of technology that captures the imagination.”

Fitness Options is celebrating 30 years of trading and whilst it acknowledges that times in retail are very challenging, the answer lies not being afraid to adapt or to make brave decisions, according to Ray;

“We have a very large footprint here at our new Kirby showroom, but it is actually slightly smaller than our previous unit in Long Eaton, which at the time was the largest in the world.

“However, as consumers shop online more and more, we’ve worked hard to find the happy medium, whether through our ecommerce store or, by coming into the store to experience our equipment first hand. The secret is in offering an experience, not just an outlet and with the Icaros, we certainly have that.”