HEALTH IS TRENDING City welcomes several fitness businesses

Health is trending

City of Niles welcomes several fitness businesses

Across the region, communities are changing what it means to be healthy. These developing cities Marshall said he saw a need for a 24-hour gym in the area and took on the opportunity without hesitation. From Story by Ian Hassan Photos by Emily Sobecki & Evan Cobb are reimagining fitness through core there he set forth to make it a place values such as comfort, accessibility, where anyone would feel welcome and and education. The City of Niles, and have access to the tools they needed the surrounding region, has witnessed to improve their wellbeing. a burst of activity as of late that centers FitStop 24 Niles offers the standard around the care and wellbeing of the free weights, circuit training, personal community and its residents. training, and cardio machines, as well

In 2019, two new gyms opened their as tanning and artificial turf training doors in downtown Niles alongside the for athletes to practice on in the pre-existing Niles-Buchanan YMCA, winter months (a personal touch of which broke ground on an expansion Marshall’s). Most importantly, the in the spring of 2020. The successful gym focuses its primary efforts on opening of Trap House 24 SLR on fostering an environment of comfort Main Street and the first FitStop 24 and extraordinary customer service, franchise on 2nd Street, have given two values that have played a major the residents of the greater Niles area role in the business’ success. several options when it comes to their Fitstop 24 gained 400 members in personal health. As these businesses its first four months, and in the begincontinue to thrive within the city, it ning of 2020, were averaging three is apparent that positive changes are to four new members daily. Marshall rippling through the community. attributes all of his success to his

FitStop 24 opened its doors to the members, saying, “We’re nothing City of Niles in October of 2019. It without them. In the four months was the first franchise location for we’ve been here, we’ve turned into a the owners, Eastlake Athletic Club, giant family.” which already had many locations Having already been serving the ranging from Elkhart to Middlebury Niles area through his career at Tyler to Granger. When they approached Automotive, Marshall uses his sales Dowagiac native, Gary Marshall, with and customer service background to the opportunity to operate his very make FitStop 24 a welcoming gym own FitStop 24 more than five years experience. He and his staff make a ago, Marshall had his pick of the litter point to connect with their guests and when it came to location. His response invest in their progress. Marshall and was immediate: Niles. his team understand and respect the

individual fitness journey, assuring the community that FitStop 24 will be there to meet their members where they are at and to help them along the way.

Marshall encourages community members to start their fitness journey with FitStop 24.

“The first step is walking in,” he said. “I promise if you walk in you’ll want to come back.”

Marshall isn’t the only one seeing the effects of the city’s enthusiasm toward fitness. The Niles-Buchanan YMCA is fitting to expand in the spring of 2020 with a new fitness studio, a 7,800 square-foot gymnasium, a teen room, and a youth room devoted entirely to the children in the greater Niles community. This 14,000 squarefoot addition to the current facility on Front Street will look to expand the Niles-Buchanan YMCA’s services and capabilities, adding additional space and resources to the already expansive library of activities and programs.

The Niles-Buchanan YMCA currently features many opportunities for its members, including aerobics classes, personal trainers, health coaches, taekwondo, weight and cardio rooms, six lane lap pool, and a 1/10th mile track that circumvents the upper level of the gym.

Tiffany Rusher is the Director of Group Fitness for the YMCA of Greater Michiana and a vocal supporter of the many benefits that a fitness-based

lifestyle has to offer, both physical as well as social.

“When you go to the group fitness classes people become family,” she said. “Some people start out just sitting in the coffee area and become members from there.” Since its conception in 1944, the YMCA has been an alternative for youth to engage their free time in a positive way. These values remain evident when touring the facilities and witnessing the wide range of programs and opportunities offered by the YMCA of Greater Michiana.

The Niles-Buchanan YMCA works hand in hand with Lakeland Rehabilitation, an adjacent physical therapy center to make sure that all members are getting the individual attention they need. Rusher attributes the success of the Niles-Buchanan facilities to its strong community ties, including Spectrum Health Lakeland, the Niles Community and Brandywine school systems, and the Greater Niles and Buchanan senior centers.

“We’re always looking to add and to enhance our services for whatever the community’s needs are,” Rusher said. “Working together with our community partners allows us to do so much more to aid our members and our community.”

Another local entrepreneur who is seeing firsthand the surge of interest in physical fitness is Stephanie Reno, owner of SLR Pilates and the recently debuted 24-hour gym, Trap House 24 SLR as a co-owner with Matt Mazingo. What began as one woman’s passion for Pilates and the difference it made in her own life, eventually led to her opening her own Pilates and yoga studio in the City of Niles. Since its grand opening, Reno has developed SLR Pilates into a premier destination for Pilates and yoga instruction, not only in Niles, but in the greater Michiana area.

Reno attributes her success to her staff’s knowledge and attention to customer service. All of her teachers are required to have a tremendous amount of education behind them within the field. This includes 200 to 500 hours of classroom time and bookwork geared directly towards teaching yoga, 500 hours geared directly towards teaching Pilates as well as time

Stephanie Reno, owner of SLR Pilates, owns two fitness businesses in downtown Niles: SLR Pilates, 219 E. Main St., and Traphouse 24, 127 E. Main St., Niles.

spent working with students and shadowing teachers. Reno says this is not only to ensure that her business is the best at what it does, but also to make sure her clientele is safe and successful.

“We’re an alignment-based studio,” Reno said. “You come into our classes and you are not going to be following a fitness instructor. You are going to be taught by a teacher.”

Reno advises those that are interested in starting yoga to seek actual classes rather than trying to use at home videos. Making sure that you are performing the exercises accurately not only ensures you will get the best results, but that you are staying safe and protecting your muscles from further damage.

“Education is the most important part. Uneducated instructors can hurt the members,” she said.

Education remains a primary pillar of Reno’s business model, which has allowed Reno to develop a premier fitness experience for her guests.

In November 2019, Reno continued to expand her range of care with the grand opening of Trap House 24 SLR on Main Street. Reno’s experience with building a top-of-the-line Pilates and yoga studio and her partner Matt Mazingo’s passion and knowledge for the gym world it was an amazing collaboration. Trap House 24 SLR is a 24-hour fitness facility that features free weights, circuit training, cardio equipment, personal training, and tanning. With the same dedication to customer service and an esteemed fitness experience, the facility has continued to grow daily since its debut.

Reno said her hope is to eventually outgrow the space by maintaining a quality fitness environment and by keeping her standards for her businesses high. At SLR Pilates Reno has lovingly cultivated an environment that offers anything one could want in a Pilates and yoga studio, and she hopes to do the same with Trap House 24 SLR.

The City of Niles is blooming in many different ways. The rapid growth of health and wellness facilities in the region showcases a developing value within the greater Niles area that focuses on the wellbeing of the community and its residents. Regardless of one’s place in their fitness journey, regardless of the struggles one may be facing, the greater Niles area is rich with resources and support for the overall wellness of the community.