Portuguese women-only fitness chain Vivafit will shortly make its debut in Kazakhstan, with the launch of its first club in this market.

In June, the company signed an agreement to open a club in Atyrau, at a former state-owned swimming pool. This will be followed by a second site, in Almaty, next year.

The club will follow the usual Vivafit format, which has been conceived to help women achieve results in a safe, welcoming environment: the focus is equally on fitness training and nutritional programmes.

A range of programmes will be on offer, including personal training and circuit training, as well as a range of group exercise options such as Zumba, pilates, high-intensity interval training and Les Mills programmes.

According to Vivafit CEO Pedro Ruiz, the renovation work will be quick because much of the infrastructure is already in place.

“The adaptations for Asian culture – mostly involving adaptations to cater to the Muslim culture – have already been done for other markets in which we operate,” he says. “Now we must adapt to the Russian language, adapt the pricing structure for the market and find Russian-speaking fitness instructors.”