Marilyn Pokras knows how frustrating a schedule can be. She had a baby six months ago, and after 10 years in the work force, she said making it to the gym during regular hours sometimes seems impossible.

Pokras, the manager of the new Anytime Fitness, at 3103 Cranberry Highway, says her business will make hitting the gym whenever you feel like it a possibility.

Anytime Fitness is, as the name says, indeed anytime. “We’re trying to cater to working professionals, to parents,” Pokras explained. “Those schedules can get busy and erratic, so it gets hard to fit a gym visit into regular hours.” With a purchase of a gym membership, members receive a key fob which will unlock the gym’s door at any hour of the day, even during unstaffed hours.

What are the safety routines in place if something goes wrong with no staff available? “We have a pretty responsible clientele,” Pokras says. “They’re pretty good at not going too far and hurting themselves.” Nevertheless, multiple panic buttons are in place on the sunny yellow walls. Cameras are installed throughout the building. There are also lanyards that can be worn and used to alert emergency services if something has gone wrong.

Group training and personal training are also offered at the gym. Pokras, a 13-year veteran of the fitness industry, doubles as Anytime Fitness’s personal trainer. “Fitness is my dorky little hobby,” she says with a laugh, pointing out a row of new treadmills, before shifting to shiny new exercise machines. “I’m always happy when I walk in here. Whenever I’m with a client, there are always machines that I get excited about trying.”

The gym staff is made up of locals. Owners Jim and John Fine are local and familiar with Wareham. They also own Bananas, close by on Cranberry Highway.

Pokras grew up in Bourne and has worked at several gyms along the East Coast. She notes that the idea to bring Anytime Fitness to Wareham began when there weren’t many other options.

One point of pride for Pokras is being personable. “A lot of the big-box gyms, you wouldn’t know any of the employees names, or who you’re working out with,” Pokras explains.

Anytime, on the other hand, is meant to be a small-neighborhood type of gym, with a certain element of Cheers to it. You know, that place where everybody knows your name.

The gym is hoping to open by early March at the latest. Anytime Fitness is offering a pre-opening membership rate of $29.99/month. After the gym opens, the monthly membership cost will be $34.99. For membership information, call 774-678-4031 or email: eastwarehamma@anytimefitness.com.