By Rebecca Rider 

rebecca.rider@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Planet Fitness opened bright and early Monday morning at 5 a.m. The Salisbury location, located next to Life Church on Jake Alexander Boulevard, marks the 24-hour gym chain’s 18^th location between Charlotte and Greensboro.

“We’re very very excited about it,” Marketing Director Janess Reyna said, “Salisbury has been a long time coming.”

By 5 p.m., there was a long line in front of the new gym as people waited for a chance to meet NASCAR driver Joey Logano, who made a guest appearance at the grand opening.

The gym opened registration more than a month ago, and by Monday evening already had a decent crowd of new members eager to try the bright purple equipment.

The chain prides itself on providing a “judgement free zone” for people wanting to work towards a healthier, more active lifestyle. Traditional gyms can be very intimidating for the nearly 85 percent of the population which doesn’t work out regularly, Rayna said.

That slogan is one of the things that attracted Carol Carpenter to the gym.

“As soon as I saw it I said, ‘I wanna do that,’ ” she said.

Carpenter said she normally works out at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, but wanted the self-improvement and build up to a regular routine offered by Planet Fitness.

Carpenter was joined Monday by her friend Sharon Skeen, who also decided to give Planet Fitness a whirl.

“I thought I’d give it a try as something fun,” she said.

Reyna estimated that the gym hired roughly 18 new employees, and said that, for now, staff requirements have been met.

Planet Fitness runs for 24-hours during the week, from 5 a.m. on Monday morning to 9 p.m. on Friday night. During the weekend, the doors are open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. A Planet Fitness membership is $10 a month for a basic pass and $20 a month for a VIP pass, which includes access to a spa area. There is a $1 joining fee until Sept. 12.

Contact reporter Rebecca Rider at 704-797-4264.