CUMBERLAND — When Kylie Doll went to a women-exclusive gym in Keyser, West Virginia, something clicked.
At PWR Fitness, Doll said she was inspired to try new things, and enjoyed being around other women.
“I feel like I really found myself again there,” Doll said.
When she moved to Cumberland, commuting to Keyser to work out didn’t make much sense, but the regular gyms in the area didn’t feel the same, she said.
“I just felt like I was being stared at all the time,” she said.
Taking things into her own hands, Doll decided to open her own 24/7, women-only gym, Doll’s Fitness, at 49 N. Liberty St. in the city’s downtown. The gym will officially open Monday.
“I just want to create a space for just girls,” Doll said.
“I grew up being a cheerleader, dancer, all that with girls all the time, and I really miss that.”
Vickie Bierman, who visited during the gym’s open house Saturday, said she was excited to create more friendships in the gym.
“Camaraderie,” she said. “Talking with one another about things you may not want to say around men in another gym or something like that.”
Denise Andrews, who also visited Saturday, agreed, explaining that having a friend in the gym contributes to better workouts.
“It’s always nice to work out with somebody, because you kind of feed off of each other and push each other,” Andrews said.
The gym features typical gym equipment, such as treadmills and weights, but also has space for yoga, pilates, spin classes and more. The changing room features a vanity.
“I’m used to a little bit more free weights, but that’s because the gym that I go to is more driven toward guys,” Andrews said. “I’ll be interested to take the spin class and stuff.”
Having a space oriented to women can help meet their needs and interests when working out, Doll said.
For example, Doll said she was planning to include an ice bath in the gym, but many women in the community shared disinterest, so she was better able to meet her clientele’s wants by listening to their feedback.
“I think women deserve a place,” Doll said.
Doll said the process of setting up was very hard.
“It was not fun,” Doll said. “There were days I would come in here and be like, I don’t want to do this, but it has to get ugly before it gets pretty.”
Doll said other local businesses in downtown Cumberland have been very supportive.
“As you walk downtown, you can see that everyone has Doll’s Fitness posters in their window,” Doll said. “That is so sweet. Like, I feel so special. You know, driving down the street and just seeing that.”
While the gym’s Facebook page has amassed about 1.7 thousand followers, the number of memberships to the gym have grown slower, but that is to be expected, she said.
“Honestly, personally, I probably wouldn’t sign up for a gym until I saw it in person, Doll said. “So, I totally understand that.”
Doll said she hopes the open house and launch party will bring in some more members.
Visitors were glad to see the gym complete.
“It’s nice to see something like this finally come into (the city),” Andrews said.