KINGSBURY — Getting a tattoo isn’t a decision Argyle resident Karen Wood made lightly.
Her first tattoo, her husband’s initials on her left ring finger, was a symbol of the couple’s loving commitment and a way to show it off even if her wedding ring didn’t fit after weight fluctuations.
Her second tattoo is another reminder of commitment — the promise to herself and her family to stay healthy — and a celebration of what she has accomplished in three years.
“I wanted something to show how far I’ve come. I did it (got the tattoo) because it means so much to me,” Wood said. “It’s on your body the rest of your life, so it should mean something.”
Her tattoo is the Anytime Fitness purple “running man” with two of her 5K race times inked along its limbs.
Anytime Fitness is a chain co-ed fitness center founded in 2002 in Cambridge, Minn. Since then, more than 2,000 clubs have opened in 49 states and more than a dozen countries.
The company recently started offering tattoo reimbursements for members who get the purple runner inked on their skin, though Wood got hers before she knew thousands of other people around the world had it too.
Five years ago this month, Scott (who also has the running man tattoo) and Brooke Daley decided to go into business for themselves when they opened Anytime Fitness at 3736 Burgoyne Ave. in Kingsbury.
Scott is a U.S. Navy veteran who served during Desert Storm. He’s also a New York state trooper. Brooke is a nursing home administrator who recently left The Stanton nursing home to switch gears toward being more involved in the business.
Before they opened Anytime Fitness, they had business experience as landlords.
“Fitness has always been a passion of his,” Brooke said.
The high-tech 24/7 gym, spanning 7,000 square feet, was one of the first Anytime franchises to open in New York state. The closest location to it is in Bennington, Vt. The corporate office is opening a location in Latham soon.
In early 2014, the Daleys are hoping to open a second location in Glens Falls in the 5,326-square-foot space Blockbuster video is vacating by Nov. 23.
The Blockbuster corporate office did not renew its lease with The Windsor Cos., owners of Hannaford Plaza on Broad Street.
According to a report from the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association, Anytime Fitness is the fastest-growing fitness club in the world.
Forbes magazine ranked Anytime Fitness among the top 25 “America’s Most Promising Companies” and among the “20 Top Franchises for the Buck.”
Entrepreneur magazine ranked it sixth on its Franchise 500 list.
Since Wood joined Anytime Fitness in Kingsbury, she has run four 5K races, shed 50 pounds and gained a second family.
“To me, this gym is like a family,” said Wood, whose husband recently joined, too. “At first, I did a workout and left. Now I stop and talk. The owner and his wife, they stop you and talk to you. Here, you don’t feel any judging. Everybody is accepting of everyone.”
Making that kind of difference in people’s lives is a special part of the business for the Daleys.
There are other fitness centers that offer members 24-hour access, but Anytime Fitness sets itself apart with high-tech surveillance technology that allows it to have a trim business model and offer members something more.
Scott said others are open 24/5, but Anytime Fitness is 24/7. Franchise owners get access to the high-tech security and a cloud-based system that allows them to monitor who is in the gym at all times. Members are given a key fob for entry access, and there is 24/7 video surveillance, which, if he needs to, Scott can access through a mobile app.
A membership at one gym works at any other Anytime Fitness, too.
In addition, members get access to Anytime Health, an online 24/7 support website Wood said made a huge difference in changing her lifestyle through tools to eat better and track progress.
Like a gym from the future, Anytime Fitness incorporates on-demand fitness classes through a virtual trainer at the gym.
Instead of offering fitness classes led by an instructor at limited times, Anytime Fitness members in Kingsbury can choose from more than 60 classes — constantly updated — on a video kiosk. First, they set up their account and set their thumbprint as identification. Then, they can choose from several difficulty levels in classes such as yoga, pilates, dance workouts and spinning.
After a class is selected on the kiosk, members enter a 1,200-square-foot room, a screen lowers and their class is projected. The room also features six stationary bikes for spinning classes.
Classes can be taken any time, alone or with a group.
There are other 24-hour fitness centers in the area, but Scott said when he was looking to open a gym, Anytime Fitness stood out because of its business model.
“I’ve always wanted to own a fitness center,” Scott said. “In general, one problem with a fitness center is the man-hours and cost of labor. It’s very expensive. So, maybe six years ago, I started doing some research and was looking to get into a business involving fitness. I stumbled upon many, and Anytime Fitness was one of them. They pretty much solved the labor issue for us electronically so you can access it 24/7 with a key fob. It’s very safe and secure.”
Anytime Fitness also offers two tanning beds, private bathrooms and showers, more than 20 Precor cardio machines that have built-in televisions with cable-TV selections, and an expansive collection of weights and strength-training machines.
The local Anytime Fitness also has three personal trainers and a full-time manager, Angela Nichols. Because of the business model, only one staff member is needed.
Nichols said she likes working at Anytime Fitness because of its focus on wellness.
“They give you the tools to be successful. It’s not overwhelming,” Nichols said. “And the positive reinforcement you get here, the people are very supportive.”
Anyone is welcome, from the body builder to the fitness novice.
“They’re everyday people,” Brooke says of the membership, of whom 90 percent live within three miles of the center, giving it a neighborhood feel.
It’s not necessarily a gym for everyone, though everyone is welcome.
“ ‘Non-intimidating’ is a very broad word used by a lot of gyms. This is a very niche market versus some of our competition. Some of those other places have thousands of members in their facilities. We’re not like that. It’s much more quaint, like ‘Cheers.’ We know you. You’re addressed by name. There’s a comfort level,” Scott said.
The Daleys said the gym doesn’t disclose the number of members because people can draw conclusions based on that number.
“We have a perfect member size,” Brooke said.
The members there seem to enjoy the size.
Joe Buonviaggio, who many may recognize as the Greenjackets football team head coach, has been a member since 2008. He has been in and out of gyms for most of his life, but Anytime Fitness seems to be just the right atmosphere for him as he comes in almost every day for a routine of weight training some days and cardio on others.
“It’s clean. There’s a lot of versatility. The customer service is top-notch. It’s great that it’s 24/7. If you want to use a machine, you’re not sitting around waiting for it,” Buonviaggio said.
Editor’s note: This is a regular series focusing on interesting local businesses and the ways they survive, thrive and innovate. Local business owners with stories to tell about their new or established businesses are invited to contact The Post-Star.
No comments :
Post a Comment