'Empowered': Inside Christchurch's new women-only gym ahead of tomorrow's opening

There’s nothing unusual about a woman walking into a gym. But feeling completely comfortable once she’s inside? For some, that’s a different story.

Fitness entrepreneur Carla De Nijs knows that.

With more than a decade in the industry, she said women had shared experiences of feeling judged, watched or intimidated in mixed-gender gyms, sometimes leading them to stop attending altogether.

It’s part of what drives her women-only fitness business, Tru The Real You, which is now expanding from Queenstown to Christchurch.

The new gym has attracted more than 200 members before its official opening in St Albans tomorrow, with another 400-plus registered for the launch event.

“I want them to feel amazing, empowered. I want them to feel hot,” De Nijs told the Herald.

She said the first 100 memberships sold out in just three days.

“Any woman’s space is absolutely amazing because I think we need that safe, comfortable space.”

The decision to expand to Christchurch came about nine months ago, after De Nijs visited a close friend in the city and fell in love with the place.

She began researching whether there was enough demand for another women-only gym.

“The response that I got was insane,” she said.

“I did not have to question myself once.”

She has invested “a couple of million” dollars in transforming a 670sq m building on Cranford Street into a fitness hub exclusively for women.

The gym offers strength-training equipment, hot Pilates, hot yoga, circuit and functional classes, core and glutes sessions, personal training, a sauna and recovery facilities.

It also has an activewear shop featuring De Nijs’ own clothing brand, and nine women have been employed at the Christchurch branch.

The new Tru The Real You gym on Cranford Street features a dedicated studio for yoga and Pilates classes. Photo / Tru The Real You

Despite being the founder, she said she was very hands-on.

Shortly before speaking to the Herald, De Nijs was wiping down gym equipment in preparation for opening day.

Her customers, she said, follow those behind-the-scenes moments online and feel part of the journey.

She believed that connection has helped build a loyal community around the brand.

And she has bigger plans.

At 47, De Nijs hopes to have five gyms operating by the time she turns 50, with interest already coming from women in other New Zealand cities and Australia.

“[Women] need a beautiful place that would welcome them, that smells good, that looks like a hotel.”

Her fitness journey began more than 10 years ago, offering online training and nutrition services before setting up a gym in her garage.

In 2017, De Nijs bought an existing women’s gym in Queenstown.

At the time, she said, the gym catered to a narrow group of women.

“When I took over the gym ... they didn’t have dumbbells over 5 kgs. They didn’t even have a squad rack.”

After navigating the Covid pandemic, which saw the business lose members as people switched to exercising at home, De Nijs rebranded the gym as it is today.

She wanted to create a space where women of different ages, fitness levels and backgrounds could feel comfortable, whether they were experienced bodybuilders or stepping into a gym for the first time.

“Everyone feels like they belong.”

Part of the team behind Christchurch’s new women-only gym. Brand manager Bella Clarke, left, founder Carla de Nijs, club manager Gracie Robert and club host Zoe Addison-Robinson. Photo / Tru The Real You

The Christchurch public opening tomorrow will run from 9am to 2pm, with free access to the facilities, tours and 15-minute taster classes, with registration required to attend.

Memberships start at $29 a week on a 12-month contract or $32 a week for six months, with an optional $10 weekly upgrade for access to training programmes, nutrition plans and other features through an app.

The gym will initially operate from 5am to 10pm, with the possibility of extending to 24-hour access if demand warrants it.

Rafaella Melo is a multimedia journalist with more than 10 years’ experience in Brazil. She spent two years reporting for Hawke’s Bay Today before joining the NZ Herald’s Christchurch team in 2026.