Health is Wealth

Welcome to 2024! If you are new here, hi, I’m Hattie! I’m just your average mom of two, wife, photographer, and oversharer extraordinaire. I want to preface this article with the fact that I have been writing this monthly column for 5-½ years now. I am extremely self-conscious of being too self-involved and repeating myself because I must be honest, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, let alone what I wrote about in July 2019. My goal is to hopefully make you laugh and/or shine a light on all the incredible people, places, and things our special town has to offer. Now that I have laid my insecurities on the table, let’s proceed.

New Year, New You! Just kidding, a cornball fitness resolution is my nightmare. It’s right up there with the poster of the cat in the tree telling us to “hang in there” or the classic “Live, Laugh, Love” word art in the kitchen. Sure, after the holidays our bodies consist of cheese, wine, and cookies, and maybe, just maybe, a walk or spin class might not be the worst idea. Luckily, I know a guy… my husband Chris owns Coronado Fitness Club (our third child), which is unfortunate for me because I can’t hide from my personal trainer. He knows where I live and is weirdly obsessed with me. We bought the gym over 14 years ago, and boyyyyy has it been an adventure. We have weathered a devastating flood, theft, a pandemic, and so much more. Our favorite word when something goes wrong is PIVOT (I hope you read that in Ross Geller’s voice).

After more than a decade in business, we have learned when something goes wrong, one of us will panic, and one will hold strong. After a day or two of uncertainty, we buckle down and figure it out. Our latest drama dates back to March 2020, a date that sends shivers down everyone’s spines. I will say the uncertainty of that time was one of the most stressful, scary times. Things had been going so well; in fact, we had just signed a lease to expand our facility and just started construction. I tried to be positive but was full-blown panicking inside.

Chris buckled down and got to work. He and his team delivered weights, spin bikes, and equipment to members’ homes. Zoom training and classes started, and in time, we were forced to have an outside gym. So, we spent so much money and time to convert our parking lot into a gym, which was lovingly referred to as “The Dungeon.”

After years of craziness, everything slowly went back to normal. We completed our expansion, with the unplanned dungeon becoming part of the family, and things were good… until they weren’t. The fire department showed up and advised us to shut the dungeon down, citing it not being zoned for use. It was surreal, seeing as we had been forced to create this space and then forced to close it. It was shocking and financially UGH. But rules are rules, and we are not above them, so it was time to PIVOT. And quite honestly, it was a blessing in disguise because it brought us to where we are now! After some soul searching and many hours at the Night and Day counter reconfiguring our setup, we are so excited to introduce The Studio at Coronado Fitness Club AND childcare!

I KNOW you guys know Samantha Bey. She is the queen of Coronado and one of my dearest friends. We met in the sandbox at Spreckels Park when our boys were babies, and now they are in the same first grade class and close buddies. The stars aligned, and Sam came in and took charge of The Studio. She has reinvented it, now offering a wide variety of classes, including HIIT, Barre, Spin, Heated Sculpt, and Hot Yoga. The space she has created on the second level is just so cool and there is something for everyone. I tried Barre for the first time, and it was truly humbling. I swear I was close to death, but in a good way, ya know? Childcare has always been a dream of ours, but there was simply never space for it. Chris and Sam said you know what, let’s make it happen because parents need this. I’m so proud of the whole team at CFC, it’s truly been a group effort. I could also cry when I think about the members’ support during all our trials and tribulations, it’s truly a special group of people.

If you ever want to come join the fun, come on down and try a class on us! You can find all the info on www.coronadofitnessclub.com or give the front desk a call at 619-522-9200.

Wishing you all a healthy, happy new year!