physically fit,

meet the newly moved Maximum Performance & Fitness

so that’s kind of fun,” she laughs. It is a long way from where Kukowski has come. Having served in the military, she says she lost much of her fitness over the years, only casually running from time to time. The fear of a family history of chronic health issues motivated her to check out the program that her neighbor could not quit talking about. She started over six years ago — and now? She gets up at 4:15 nearly every morning to be at the 5 a.m. MELT class at MPF.

What is MELT? According to Nicole Kungel, "It’s like personal training but without the same cost. You get individual attention in the group setting.” It stands for “Motivate, Educate, Lose Fat, and Teamwork,” and it is the product of Nordstrom’s many years of experience in exercise physiology, collegiate strength and conditioning, and personal training. The sessions are delivered in a circuit style that combines traditional and non-traditional exercises. For Kungel, busy mom and implementation program manager, it is a necessity, "For me it’s a lifestyle. I come six days a week and it’s different every time. For those of us that work and have a full-time job and families, we have such busy lives. I can just come here and shut my brain off and just do it.”

The results speak for themselves. According to Eickhoff, “I am down 70% of my fat [weight].” And it all began at a concert merchandise table. "I asked for t-shirt that was a large and they asked me if that was going to be big enough,” explains

Eickhoff. “I said, well if it didn’t fit, then I’d have to start going to the gym! I have hit over 500 MELTs now.” When asked about her fitness experience prior to becoming a “melter,” she says, "My first day here was my first day I ever set foot in a gym. You get to work yourself into it and Brad doesn’t try to kill you.”

This stems from Nordstrom’s philosophy: “Fitness is like climbing a ladder. If we start at the bottom and jump to the top, it’s going to tip over.” Instead, at MPF, it’s about more than just what is on the outside. "We want our clients to be physically fit and functionally strong." As Kukowski puts it, “I don’t ever want to have [anything] slow me down.”

Three women, three different walks of life; yet, one place that keeps drawing them back. Eickhoff points to the atmosphere. “It’s fun and energetic,” she says. “I always leave laughing and in a good mood.” It’s a culture amplified by its new location; complete with brand new equipment, heart rate monitoring systems, and infrared saunas that allow for a better recovery after an intense workout. And there is so much more to come. Starting this spring, the facility's garage doors will open to turf for outdoor workout access. For Brad, all this is a no brainer, "I think the biggest thing I want to do is to create that positive, upbeat, energetic environment. If you’re going to work out, might as well have fun while you’re doing it!”

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