Fitness entrepreneur Chris Onslow has opened his first health and fitness facility in Witney, Oxfordshire.

The 558sq m (6,000sq ft) Mbodies centre is one of the largest purpose-built pilates centres in the UK. The club has been divided into three exercise studios and two treatment rooms.

The pilates equipment has been supplied by STOTT PILATES, with the remainder of the therapy equipment and functional fitness accessories supplied by ProActive Health, PowerBlock and GoFit.

Onslow, who also owns and operates distribution companies ProActive Health and Pilates Solutions, has invested around £200,000 in the design and build of the facility.

Onslow says: "A key to the success of Mbodies is going to be our effectiveness in getting interested prospects to understand that the pilates we teach is miles apart from most people's perception of pilates - a sedentary group of ladies lying on mats in a room performing yoga-style exercises."

There are no memberships at Mbodies, with customers paying for each session separately. The club's total capacity is for 1,200 class-based clients. Onslow has set a target of attracting 250 regular class-based customers in the first year.