Fitness fanatics will be able to scale a Norwegian mountain or experience rowing on water without leaving their gyms – thanks to a cash injection.

Trinity Sports and Leisure, in Bridgwater, and West Somerset Sports and Leisure, in Minehead, will share in a £50,000 investment by 1610 in cutting edge interactive fitness equipment.

The leisure centres will be the first in the South West to have the new Technogym Skill Row, an interactive rowing machine which gives rowers the feeling they are rowing on water. It was designed to follow the natural curve of the stroke on water and has been developed by Olympic rowers including British Gold Medal winning Olympian Scott Durant.

The Technogym Climb will be installed in both centres which has adaptable workouts built in to suit any fitness level and other features which allow users to scale a mountain glacier.

Matt Bryant, wellness manager for 1610, formerly Somerset Leisure, said: “Exercise habits are changing and the leisure industry is constantly innovating to keep up with consumer demand and keep a head of the game.

“Consumers expect to be able to watch TV on demand at home and it is the same in the gym they want interactive technology which can give real time and detailed personalised information so they can improve performance and fitness.”

“The ‘gamification factor’, or taking the element of game playing and incorporating into how you work out, is changing the way fitness is developed in the UK. We were one of the first in the South West to have Parma interactive dance studios in our centres which has proved to be a great success and this new equipment is part of that innovative trend.”

Trinity Sports and Leisure will also benefit from the installation of Technogym’s connected group cycle concept. This will allow users to access pre-programmed classes and provide real time feedback on heart rate, RPM and calories burnt all on a 43in display screen.