Keeping fit

Luken Holdings, a real estate holding company that includes such Chattanooga landmarks as the Krystal, Tallan and James buildings, is on a health kick.

When Lynda Childress, company CEO since last June, enlisted the help of a personal trainer, she realized the value of staying in shape. Now she wants her tenants to have the same opportunity.

"I thought, 'What can we do to promote a healthy lifestyle?"' she said.

After studying a number of options, Ms. Childress decided to purchase and install $20,000 worth of fitness machines in a vacant space located in the Krystal Building basement.

"Our tenants like the proximity of having it there in the basement -- they can go down, work out, and go right back to work in the building," she said. "It's a great stress reducer, and to be able to do it at the job means people can go straight home after work."

Female building occupants gravitate toward the workout room with its elliptical machines and steam room, but the racquetball court in the adjacent Tallan Building's penthouse draws the men, she said.

"I think this is the wave of the future. People are living longer nowadays. You don't want to live longer in poor health," Ms. Childress said.

Russ Elliott, leasing and sales agent for Luken Holdings, said a healthy atmosphere benefits everyone.

"When the employees are happy, that makes the tenants happy, and that makes landlords happy," he said.

Mr. Elliott said there is a $15 a month access fee for each tenant employee for the Krystal location. The racquetball court in the Tallan Building is free, he said.

During the recent open house to celebrate the fitness center's installation, more than 50 signed up to use the facility, which is electronically secured to keep people safe during their workout, Mr. Elliott said.

Katye Jones, a financial adviser for a firm that leases space from Luken, signed herself and two other employees up for the fitness center.

"I like it because it's so forward thinking," she said, "To me, it's something that is done in larger, much larger cities, and this is one of the first times I've seen this done here."

She said working out for 20 minutes clears her head, and the ability to shower and change clothes on site means she can go right back to work afterward.

"Even if I don't break out in a sweat, at least I've done something and cleared the cobwebs out of my mind," Mrs. Jones said.

Ms. Childress added that the company is currently getting a quote on installing a fitness center in the James Building, in addition to several other properties the company holds.

"We want our tenants to live a long, long time," she said.

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