A new wellness centre with a female only gym and studio has opened in Waterlooville.
Santo The Wellness Collective is based in Wellington Way and is the brainchild of Ellie Cole, 31, and her husband Alex, from Horndean. Having witnessed first hand the benefits of clients feeling comfortable, confident and safe in their surroundings, they have created a space which has “everything wellness under one roof” with a number of predominately female-only services.
The new space offers a private PT gym, a fitness studio as well a treatment rooms where individual businesses offer a range of services including massage therapies. The fitness studio offers classes in boxing, yoga, Pilates and much more with all of them mainly running as female only.
Ellie started personal training six years ago at a commercial gym and “absolutely loved it”. When covid hit, she saw how it changed the way people trained and opened up the possibility of working out from home. It is a change that saw her business, Ellie J Fitness, almost double in size.
She said: “People love being in a personal space somewhere that they are confident and comfortable. That gave me the idea to go bigger, people love classes, they love community, they like to be apart of something.
“It brought out all of these ideas and I outgrew my business where I was working so we have come here and made it a wellness collective where there is something for everyone.”
Santo opened on Sunday, September 13, inviting the community in to see what they have on offer. Ellie has been delighted by the response.
She said: “It has been amazing. I feel like a lot of people are really happy that we brought something like this to the high street in Waterlooville. It is something different, there is nothing like it around. The female only vibe has been really popular and people seem to be really happy with it.”
Santo also offers a health bar serving coffees and matcha, granola bowls, juices, smoothies, protein shakes, health shots, and locally made bakes.
See inside Santo The Wellness Collective in the pictures below:
1. Santo The Wellness Collective
Inside the predominately female only studio where number of expert led classes are held including pilates. | Joe Williams
2. Santo The Wellness Collective
The female only gym at Santo The Wellness Collective in Wellington Way, Waterlooville. | Joe Williams
3. Santo The Wellness Collective
The female only gym in Waterlooville town centre. | Joe Williams
4. Santo The Wellness Collective
Santo The Wellness Collective opened on Wellington Way on Sunday, September 13. | Joe Williams