When you meet Alan Crockwell there is no trace of stress in his demeanour, which is quite impressive considering he is about to open a new business right after making a major move to a new location with his existing operation.

The certified neuro-muscular therapist and entrepreneur may well be achieving mind-body balance by using some of his own techniques for physical fitness and healthy living. He is certainly very focused on his ?passion for helping people? and has used his Posture and Pain Clinic to do that for hundreds of clients over the last three years.

?Our focus is to encourage people to take care of themselves and enjoy good health,? he said. And with his new venture, Contours ? a gym specifically for women ? he also intends to fill a need that his female clients have told him is not being properly addressed.

The gym will open its doors next week at an Open House.

?For anyone who might be overweight or somewhat unfit and contemplating taking up a fitness regime, going to a gym can be intimidating,? said Mr. Crockwell. ?And the large majority of my female clients tell me that women can feel particularly uncomfortable among the buff bodies and big equipment.?

He said after repeated requests from his female clients, doing some research and a move to new space in the CedarParkade from his original, smaller location in the Imperial Building, he decided to set up a gym specifically for women.

?We had a small amount of equipment at our former location mainly to help clients as part of their rehabilitative therapy and to instruct them on the benefits of exercise and proper technique,? he said. ?What we have now is a proper gym that complements the other part of the business, in a space that?s private and an environment that isn?t overwhelming.?

He said he is not trying to pull clients away from any other gyms but rather ?just providing a service that is isn?t being provided right now, and that complements my other business.?

He also stressed that while the new gym is for women only, the therapy and treatments offered by the Posture and Pain Centre are available to everyone, male or female.

Mr. Crockwell said that he always encouraged clients to do some exercise and to continue doing so after receiving therapy at his clinic, but many were reluctant to join large gyms. With his new facility he can help them make an easy transition to taking exercise after their treatment and, hopefully, make it a regular part of their lifestyle long-term.

He understands the benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle from first-hand experience, having stepped into a gym for the first time at the age of 24.

?I just went because a friend invited me, not expecting to get totally hooked on exercise and fitness,? he said.

He had not had much time for exercise before that point. After graduating from Warwick Secondary School and the Technical Institute he went to work as a manager in the family business ? his father owned two restaurants in a local fast food franchise. But getting into fitness gave him a new and unexpected perspective.

?I thought working out was great and ended up being really hard core, doing lots of weight-lifting and feeling the benefits of staying fit,? said the 48-year-old father of two, who still enjoys cardio and weight-training.

As a new convert to a healthy lifestyle he began feeling a desire to pass on what he had learned in a more formal way.

He left Bermuda to gain professional qualifications at the Atlanta School of Massage Therapy, returned in 1998 and was able to apply his new skills working in a chiropractor?s office.

?Being there I could see that there was more we could have been doing, some of the ailments or injuries needed more than what was being offered and required a different kind of care,? he said. He spoke to his wife, Shirle, herself a physical therapist who works in the government Health Department, about his growing desire to open a facility to help people with muscle pain or injuries, whether environmental or sports-related.

?She was very supportive and the Posture and Pain Clinic was ?born? in 2001,? said Mr. Crockwell. ?We saw people with a variety of ailments, from poor posture to a lot of repetitive strain injuries typically caused by working in a confined space with computers with very little movement, as well as a lot of sports injuries.?

In treating clients he also realised that many of them simply did not exercise at any level, which could aggravate some of their conditions, or at least slow their recovery.

?So that?s how we set up the small gym at first to help people understand the benefits of exercising and how they could help themselves to get better and feel good generally for their long-term health,? he said.

Mr. Crockwell adds that the same objectives apply for Contours, and he felt gratified when his idea for the women-only gym was received so well at the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation.

?Neville Grant, the general manager, was very supportive and thought it was a great idea,? he said. ?He was one of the main motivators for me. They have been a great help and I probably wouldn?t be at the level I?ve reached with this if it wasn?t for their support.?

The multi-purpose facility has six rooms featuring state-of-the-art Precor weight-training and cardio equipment, free weights, stationary bikes and an area for floor exercises. Members will be able to work independently or take the opportunity to use the registered healthcare professionals who will be on hand for individual training. In addition to personal training, services will include fitness assessments and a weight management centre. Annual and monthly membership rates will be available, as well as corporate rates and packages for nutrition/weight management and personal training. ?We?ll also have special rates for seniors and students,? adds Mr. Crockwell.

At this point there are no plans to offer aerobics classes, but he sees that type of activity eventually being added to the gym?s services.

?We intend to do that and spinning classes in future as the facility expands,? said Mr. Crockwell. ?We also want to take our activities outside once a month with fitness training for groups of our members on the beach, cycle rides, that kind of thing.

?We want to enable members to reach their personal fitness goals at their own pace but enjoy themselves at the same time,? he added.

Contours will officially open its doors to the public with an Open House on Tuesday, June 1 from 11.30 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. Opening hours will be from 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday - Thursday; 6 a.m. - 4 p.m. Fridays; and 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Sundays.