Allyson Walker welcomes everyone to take action for fitness and health.
Allyson and Tim Walker opened the Yale gym in July of 2019.
By Rich Wicks | Panora Times, July 2025
One of the major trends in gyms today is that users no longer have to find workout times that match the gym’s hours. Many gyms have “flexed” to meet everyone’s schedule. That is true at Walker Wellness in Yale. Allyson Walker explained how the gym came to exist.
Walker Wellness is located at 215 Main St. in Yale.
Walker said she and Tim had heard from doubters when they first talked of opening a gym in Yale, but they were not discouraged.
“My husband said, ‘The worst that can happen is it will flop, but we’ll never know if we don’t try,’ ” Walker said. “Our membership ebbs and flows throughout the year. You’d think in the summer it might go down, but there are a lot of college kids that come back for the summer. At any given time, our membership list is around 75, give or take.”
Every member receives a key fob to access the gym whenever is most convenient. Because the gym is available 24-7, cameras are installed for security of the facility and for the safety of members.
Tanning services are offered at Walker Wellness.
According to Walker, the popularity of the tanning bed has been a pleasant surprise.
“Tanning is a big thing all year around, and especially around homecoming, prom, and spring break time. We were amazed at how much tanning there is,” she said.
Rather than the obvious physical benefits of going to a gym, Walker Wellness offers a chance for members to take a mental break as well.
‘It really started when I was a stay-at-home mom,” Walker said. “I just needed a break. My girlfriends and I would go running, and I realized there was a need for a place like this to go to. The gym’s a great place to go.”
When asked about a success story of a member who achieved a fitness goal, Walker had a ready answer.
“There’s one gal that comes in every day, who has trained for a half-marathon, and then she trained for a full marathon. She did both very successfully,” Walker said. “Yale is kind of dark because there aren’t a lot of streetlights, so she felt more comfortable running in here. So, kudos to her for putting in a lot of miles on the treadmill. We went and watched her run the IMT Marathon and cheered her on.”
Walker said one particular thing often surprises people upon first entering into Walker Wellness.
“People are always surprised at how nice it is in here,” Walker said. “We have spent time and money. We pride ourselves on it being clean and safe. There are lots of fans and outlets. There is Wi-fi. There is a TV anywhere that you could want to watch one.”
Walker explained that most memberships are monthly.
“It’s a monthly fee of $35. That is our flat rate across all ages,” Walker said. “We do offer a couple’s rate that saves you a little bit of money, and then there are family plans.”
Walker said she does very little traditional advertising for the business but has found a unique way to achieve recognition in the community. At Yale’s annual Fourth of July celebration, Walker gives bottles of water during the parade.
“We hand out 800 to 900 bottles of water a year,” Walker said. “That’s what gets us known.”
Walker has no plans for major changes at Walker Wellness in the coming years.
“We’re happy with what we’re doing here,” she said.
Walker said new members often mention that they prefer not to be watched while working out, so Walker assures them that the video camera footage is only for business security and personal safety purposes. But she told of one exception to that general rule.
“We did have a member call me one time and say that she’d been trying to take her sweatshirt off while walking on the treadmill, and she fell and crashed into the wall,” Walker said. “She was totally fine, but we all watched the video multiple times. To this day, she still giggles about it.” n