Lithuanian market leader Impuls, which operates 11 premium clubs in the country, will open its first low-cost club this month, in the capital city of Vilnius – said to be the first budget gym in the country.

The new low-cost offering operates under the Lemon Gym brand, with the concept based on a footprint of around 1,000sq m, with no group exercise but high quality gyms.

By comparison, Impuls clubs – the latest of which opened last month in the city of Kaunas – range from 2,000–4,000sq m. These include group exercise studios alongside gyms equipped primarily by Technogym, Life Fitness and Cybex. All but one of the clubs have swimming pools, and eight have an additional indoor cycling studio offering both live and virtual classes.

“We’ve signed sites for the next two Lemon Gyms, which will open in May 2015, and will open our 12th Impuls club in Vilnius in October,” says CEO Vidmantas Siugzdinis.

Impuls is one of the largest operators of health and fitness clubs in the Baltic region, with over 40 per cent market share in Lithuania and more than 20,000 members. Established in 2004, it has been owned by private equity fund BaltCap since 2011.