New fitness center opens in Plains

The owner of the newest fitness center in Plains is really pumped to open up its establishment and feels it'll provide a needed activity in the community.

Rebecca and Matt Fields of Plains opened up their Warrior Fitness gym this week and even though they had some minor painting and touch up work to do, members were utilizing the facility and exercise classes were already taking place.

"I have always had a passion to help others reach their goals to be healthier and move better," said Rebecca Fields, the primary force behind the opening of Warrior Fitness, a Quonset structure located on Lynch Street across from City Hall. "I noticed that Plains did not have a facility like that. We had the opportunity present itself in October of 2022 and after a lot of discussion and reflection we decided to go for it," she added.

The couple purchased the 1,500 square-foot building in April 2023 after optometrist William Shull retired, but Fields had to get permission from the railroad, which owns the property the building is on. The fitness center has an 860-square-foot weight room, complete with free weights and weight machines, and a 640-square-foot studio for classes. She believes it's the only total fitness facility with a complete gym and classes available in Plains. Fields said that she knew she could make the vacated Quonset hut "into something great" from the first time she saw it.

Before buying the building, the 41-year-old Fields said she put a post out on the Facebook Sanders County 411 page in an effort to determine the interest in the community to have an exercise facility in Plains and received more than 300 positive responses. They began renovating the building in April and were ready for business eight months later.

Fields said she'd been thinking of opening a fitness center since moving to Plains three years ago. "In that time I met and talked with a lot of individuals wanting the same thing," said Fields, who added that she and her husband discussed that if the opportunity ever presented itself they would open a fitness center.

The gym has an assortment of dumbbells and barbells, multi-station equipment complete with a chest press, rowing machines, treadmills, along with a multi station with chest press, leg curls, lateral pulls, bicep curls, leg extension, tricep extension, lat pull-down, pec deck, and seated row. She also has a squat rack and a summit climber.

In addition, Warrior Fitness has a tanning bed and offers spin, trampoline, yoga, Zumba, and low impact weight training classes. They'll have four certified instructors at the facility and a personal trainer to help with nutrition and workouts, including Lyla Lammert, who teaches HIIT (high intensity interval training) classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m. Lammert also plans to conduct a six-week "boot camp" training program in the spring and a strong man team.

"I met Lyla about a year after moving here. We clicked instantly. She also had goals and dreams similar to mine. So we have been collaborating together with workouts and classes ever since," said Fields. Lammert is an avid weightlifter, a firefighter and an EMT.

"I am extremely excited to see this come to life. When it's all you can think about and you put all you have into it, you get very excited," said Fields, who said she loves all forms of physical activity.

Warrior Fitness has monthly and annual memberships and drop-in fees. Monthly membership is $45, and $38 a month for seniors 65 and older and for veterans and first responders. She added that membership includes use of the gym and classes. It also has a Facebook page.

"I am so excited to offer these options to the community," said Fields. "My goal is to help this community get healthy."