As the holidays end and everyone starts heading back to school and work, one more place crowds seem to swarm to once the calendar turns is the nearest gym.
Plenty of local gyms are offering specials for the new year to accommodate those looking to shed any added weight gained during the holidays.
Nyack Fitness - 82 South Franklin Street, Nyack - 845-353-5330
This center offers a wide variety of exercise options. Owner Jeff Castaldo said Nyack Fitness offers a gym, personal training, group training and CrossFit.
“Normally, the start of the year isn’t our busiest time of year,” he said. “Right now everyone is pushing to get to a gym. What usually happened was after a few months, if that wasn’t working people would come to us, so we got busy around the end of February and in March. But this year we’re seeing it picking up right now because our format is a little different.”
Castaldo said they used to just do personal training, but have added the gym and group training sessions. He said prospective new members will get a free health assessment with a personal trainer, and then if they buy two sessions they’ll get one for free.
Starting on Jan. 23, Nyack Fitness will start back up its Fit For Life program, an eight-week group training program led by Beth Wnorowski and Jen Mayer. The program consists of three sections: nutrition, yoga and personal training. Wnorowski said it started last year in May, and they held it once more in September. She added she doesn’t like groups to be bigger than five people, and they meet three times a week, twice for strength training and once for yoga. Castaldo said a week before the program starts, the group meets to go over times to meet.
The program is $800, and Wnorowski said she and Mayer are very hands on, so they’re happy to help people on days the group isn’t meeting and answer any questions they might have. She said they also talk about nutrition and what everyone’s been eating.
“We don’t believe in these big diets with no sugar or anything like that,” she said. “We’re about making little changes so people will eat better, showing them how to exercise so they know how to properly work out and, like the program says, helping them get fit for life. We don’t want them to diet, lose 30 pounds and then just gain it all back.”
She said they also add in little challenges throughout the program.
- 278 S Main Street, New City - 845-634-0600
District Manager Crystal Bishop said the beginning of the year is always a busy time at this gym, because of “all those New Year’s resolutions.”
She said for new members, they’re offering a $0 enrollment fee and two months free if you sign up. Their monthly fee is $19.99.
- 430 Nanuet Mall South, Nanuet - 845-920-0501
This gym recently lowered its rate to $39 a month, a $20 a month decrease from previous rates, and those who sign up get a month for free, said Robin Ennis, director of membership.
She also said they offer a two-week trial period at the gym, and are starting up a biggest loser contest in the coming weeks.
Ennis added that this is their busiest time of year.
“Everybody feels out of shape after eating all that good food over the holidays,” she said. “Plus it's cold out so people want to workout inside.”
- 37 W Jefferson Ave, Pearl River, NY 10965 - 845-517-1400
This gym hosted a fire truck pull Breast Cancer fundraiser earlier this year.
Included in their membership are a variety of classes such as zumba, yoga, pilates, spin, circuit training and more.
There are teacher and student discounts available. Just bring your ID to sign up. The first time you sign up, you're required to get a full year's membership. It's $75 down adn 69 a month. For students, it's $49/month.
There's a free Jump Start available when you sign up, which is an hour-long tour with a trainer who shows you how to work each machine.
Contact each gym for updated prices.
