New fitness app to aid drug rehabilitation launched by entrepreneur

David Corfield, who runs a hybrid, boutique gymnasium on the outskirts of Albrighton, will team up with official rehabilitation programmes to provide individuals with one-year free membership to his 'Total Fitness' app.

This means they will be able to take part in up to 14, one-hour virtual classes per week that cover strength, power, cardio, mobility and core strength, all put together against themed music and utilising basic fitness equipment that can be substituted for everyday objects that remove the need for heavy expenditure.

The qualified personal trainer overcame his own 10-year battle with heroin and wants to make this commitment as part of a long-term desire to give something back.

"Getting involved in exercise and fitness can really aid recovery and helps give you focus when your mind can be straying – I know this from personal experience," said David, who has been clean for 18 years.

"Unfortunately, gyms can be out of their financial reach, so I've decided to make my new 'Total Fitness' app free for the first 12 months, with the view to then offering a weekly workshop/class at my fitness centre in Albrighton."

He said: "This means all they'll need is a phone, download the app and then they can start taking the classes. We have 80 different 'Total Fitness' classes devised, delivering endless variety, including streaming three yoga classes, two 'Live Strong' classes (aimed at complete beginners and seniors) and a 30-minute 'Total Mobility' class at 6pm on Sundays.

"We've replaced the usual equipment with household items that you can use and still gain the same effect. Keeping fit is great for the body, but importantly also for the mind and will hopefully help aid rehabilitation and recovery."

David Corfield Gymnasium, which is nestled just a few minutes from Junction 3 of the M54, was launched in 2015 and provides an exclusive boutique health and fitness club offering all forms of exercise, from yoga and Pilates to body building, boxing and cross training.

More than 400 members enjoy a 'community' environment that combines state-of-the-art gym facilities with the knowledge and expertise of eight top coaches, delivering high intensity, holistic fitness, using full body, three dimensional movements and corrective exercise.

The Covid-19 pandemic threw daily routines into disarray, so David and the team decided to take classes online, utilising Facebook Live to make sure members and other local people could keep fit and boost their mental health during lockdown.

Individuals from far afield as Manchester, London, Ireland and even the US took part and this provided the inspiration for the new Total Fitness app, which is free to members and costs £10 a month for non-members.

"We want to create a fitness community that gives people a cost-effective way of accessing classes at a time that suits them, whether you take part live or access the sessions through our archive," said David.

"The app, which is available on Android and iOS, also gives users the chance to leave comments and kudos to other members and we're not to going to stop there with plans to add new features as more feedback comes in."

He added: "This project has been a real local effort with developer and gym member Ben Owen helping take our vision and turning it into an easy-to-use app. We genuinely believe that we could have thousands of new members – from all over the world – by the end of 2022."