As you walk up the stairs at Max Health Club, alongside the sports pitch, you’ll see the lounge area of this modern gym. Here, you can pop open your laptop for a moment or relax with a coffee or a healthy shake. We have a view of the swimming pool, where club members are doing laps, and of the Dutch masters’ paintings on the walls. We spoke to Alyssa Thiele from Max Health Club about the range of sports and wellness activities they offer. Alyssa herself teaches cycling and yoga classes, amongst other things.

“Welcome to my world!” It’s not just about exercise here, but about your overall wellbeing, she explains. “We don’t operate on a pay-as-you-go basis. If you become a member of our club for a fixed monthly fee, you’re free to do anything here to work on your body and your overall wellbeing. You don’t see that very often in The Hague and the surrounding area!”

Alyssa Thiele, who is also a Pilates instructor, demonstrates an exercise.

Upstairs, you can work out in a large, fully equipped gym and strengthen your legs, biceps and glutes using equipment from the popular sports brand TechnoGym. There are various rooms for group classes, such as yoga, boxing and Bodypump. In one of the rooms hangs a large disco ball, whilst another features large speakers with an elaborate lighting panel, beneath which dozens of people are spinning on exercise bikes in a group, following the rhythm of the music played by the trainer. Alyssa: “Yes, it’s a fast-paced session with plenty of audiovisual stimuli.” There are as many as a hundred different group classes a week and more than twenty-five personal trainers on hand, so there’s something for everyone. After an intensive workout, you can pop into the sauna or the shower and unwind – towels and shampoo are included.

Also read: About the Westvliet site Max Health Club is a place where the whole family feels at home

Bringing children along

What’s striking – because you don’t often see this at gyms – is that you can bring your children with you in the morning when you start your day. That way, you can have a quick workout whilst the kids are looked after for an hour in the childcare area. Ideal for those who sometimes find it hard to fit in a workout due to a busy job combined with a hectic family life.

Across the road, Max Health Club has recently opened its own standalone studio for Reformer Pilates for its members. This form of exercise is all the rage – particularly amongst people in their thirties to fifties and women. In small groups of up to ten participants and under the guidance of specialist trainers, you work on your core using a machine that provides resistance. There are hundreds of exercises and variations to try, ensuring you always get a full-body workout. “It helps you get fitter and more toned,” explains Alyssa, as she demonstrates one of the exercises, extending her right leg.

The advantage of membership here is that you’re also welcome at the second branch on Westvlietweg in Voorburg. There, they have the Biocircuit – also by Technogym – which allows you to complete a full workout in just thirty minutes using fully personalised and automated programmes. This is handy for those who don’t have much experience with exercise, simply want to get started quickly and easily, or, for example, are undergoing rehabilitation. Peace, health and wellbeing are elevated to an art form here.

www.maxhealthclub.nl