Colleen’s Community Connections: Fitness February Stories From The Heart

February is American heart month, and while we know exercise is paramount for cardiovascular health, we decided to focus on stories from the heart. Fitness studios and gyms in our area were hit the hardest during the pandemic. These businesses had to temporarily shut their doors, pivot their business models, and adapt to a new reality. There were many dark days for these studios, but their local communities rallied around them as they fought hard to keep their businesses afloat. Even today, these businesses are still struggling as our society has not returned to “normal.”

As a community, there is so much power in supporting one another. In the words of Helen Keller, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”

Continue reading to learn how these studios have persevered throughout the last two years while also getting inspired to try some of their amazing fitness classes!

Toning up with T

Tara Mangold founded the unique HIIT style studio, Toning Up With T, in Cherry Hill, NJ. Tara offers six classes per day during the workweek; from 5:00 am to 5:30 pm, and three Saturday classes from 7:00-9:00 am. Classes last 55 minutes and range from High-Intensity Interval Training to Strength Training. Tara’s classes have a following; her clients can’t get enough and many credits her as being the catalyst for major health changes in their lives.

During the beginning of COVID, when many gyms were shut down, Tara said, “I don’t believe in shutting down. I believe in pivoting,” and her clients obliged. Beginning on March 16, 2020, Tara posted one at-home workout a day for 100 days on her social media. Three months later, she began workouts in the park for $10 each, which expanded her reach and grew her following. She has since re-opened her doors and offers indoor and outdoor classes when the weather permits; taking precautions to wipe down all surfaces, limiting class sizes, and using a fogger machine to disinfect the entire room after each session. Her studio is also deep cleaned weekly to keep her clients safe. To take one of Tara’s classes you can sign up through the app or website, MindBody, and look out for her new location to open on March 1, 2022, at 5 Esterbrook Lane in Cherry Hill.

Barre3

Barre3, in Cherry Hill, offers full-body balanced workouts consisting of cardio, strength conditioning, and mindfulness. Classes are scheduled through the MindBody app and have varying class times depending on skill level and instructor availability. Private classes are also available. Owner, Vanessa Allen, began teaching free classes throughout the community – from the basement of Haddonfield Running Company to the Cooper River Vista Deck and many backyards in between – these classes helped her build a following and build her team.

Barre3’s physical location opened in January 2020 and after two months, was forced to shut its doors. Reflecting on those stressful days Vanessa remembers, “Our community kept showing up. They would give us words of encouragement to keep going. There were times when we thought we were doing a crappy job and it felt like it was all becoming too much and times when we weren’t sure we would be able to keep our business afloat; then we’d receive an email or a text from a client, telling us that these classes were getting them through the pandemic and kept them grounded. It was the one thing they looked forward to and was the one constant on their schedules every day. Even when they had no routine or anywhere to go, they felt they could come to class.” Vanessa discussed that during virtual workouts the 10 minutes before and after class became just as, if not more important than the class. These moments provided safe outlets for people who had limited interactions with people. They also hosted Sip and Shop Virtual Happy Hours to sell some of their apparel and spend time with their “tribe.”

Community is such a big part of Barre3 and they truly consider their clients family. They take the time to get to know each and every member and want everyone to leave feeling better than when they walked in. They even offer a Play Lounge for kids to enjoy while their parents are working out. Covid precautions are our new normal, and Barre3 highly recommends that clients wear masks during class. If clients prefer to work out without a mask, they require proof of vaccination, plus a booster. Studio space is at a 60% reduced capacity and is disinfected and sanitized between classes. There is also an air filter in the lobby and in the studio.

UpCycle Fitness

Conveniently located in Collingswood, NJ, UpCycle Fitness was opened in May 2015 by a husband and wife duo, Kim and Jake Goodman. The UpCycle Fitness studio is in a beautifully renovated historic building and offers a variety of classes including cycling, barre, strength training, yoga, and even some meditation classes. Classes are scheduled between 5:30 am and 7:00 pm weekdays to meet the demand of their students’ busy schedules. On the weekends, classes are offered in the mornings, before noon. Their classes range from beginner to advanced and they also offer an entire library of on-demand cycling, barre, yoga, strength, and even a handful of meditations for members to enjoy at home or on the go.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they voluntarily closed their doors prior to the mandate with the goal of keeping their clients safe. With much trial and error, UpCycle Fitness began live-streaming their classes and even rented out bikes to the community. Kim recalled, “Our goal was to keep people moving because stress levels were so high and there was so much uncertainty — it was one thing we could do to provide even a tiny bit of normalcy and routine for people (and for us).”

After being able to reopen for outdoor, in-person classes UpCycle Fitness rolled the bikes in and out of the studio multiple times a day so clients could exercise. A client kindly built a ramp to make it easier for the bikes to get in and out. The outdoor classes were such a success that clients even came when it was 20 degrees out, and there were no heaters! While they are still working to bring back the revenue of their pre-pandemic business, UpCycle Fitness will continue to thrive due to the major support of their community. UpCycle Fitness supports their members too; they have a book club and social gatherings to help people stay connected.

Body Physics

Body Physics Fitness & The Haddonfield Martial Arts Academy is the product of a nearly 20-year personal training journey for owner Jim Bompensa. Jim was interested in fitness while in college which led to him managing multiple gyms for Town Sports International throughout the region. In 2002, Jim was ready to start his own studio and opened Body Physics and The Haddonfield Martial Arts Academy. Jim’s hard work and dedication to fitness is evident; he has won three Best of South Jersey awards, two Best of Haddonfield Awards, and the National My Trainer Rocks Competition. Members of the studio can participate in personal training sessions, group fitness, cycling, and martial arts classes. With a focus on community, Jim and his team strive to motivate families to integrate fitness, martial arts, and healthy habits into their lives.

When the pandemic hit, Jim was forced to shut his doors for four months. He ultimately decided the best way to help his community members stay fit was to pivot the business model. With his Haddonfield Martial Arts Academy students in mind, Jim began offering outdoor classes in the parking lot behind the gym. He found that for many of his students, it was the only scheduled activity they had all week long. Jim says, “It was so nice to see how excited they would get to have the opportunity to interact and engage with friends while learning martial arts. We also trained small groups in the same parking lot outside, as well as Crows Woods, and people’s backyards.” The team at Body Physics truly prides themselves on keeping everyone motivated and moving no matter their age, and the pandemic proved to be no different.

One silver lining for this unexpected time off was that Jim was able to finish his book Building the Base, which focuses on guiding young athletes through age-appropriate workouts to prepare them for the next level. Jim says the book, “provides a blueprint to safely lay the foundation on which to build a balanced young athlete. When we create a stronger, more physically aware person, we create a better athlete.” His book outlines the importance of proper training styles at different life stages and prepares young athletes how to safely train and compete during those changes.

Body Physics and Haddonfield United Martial Arts Academy have been safely holding classes since reopening, ensuring that instructors are masked and members are socially distanced. They also disinfect surfaces after use and take pride in their members feeling safe and comfortable working out.

Looking To Get Involved or Learn More?

While learning about each studio’s challenges during the pandemic and how they persisted, we also discovered that they still need our support. People are beginning to return to gyms and fitness studios, but they aren’t even close to their pre-pandemic numbers. We can support these businesses in so many ways: trying a workout at their studios (or virtually!), sharing your experience with a friend, following or liking them on social media, or reposting about their businesses to your account.

We believe that community connections are so important to keep our towns thriving. If you are interested in trying one of the four local studios mentioned above, show a screenshot of this newsletter and try a class on us (please call before booking for availability).