That Was the Year That Was…

by K. Brown

2014 will be remembered fondly by the Fitness Incentive family. For starters, it was our 30th anniversary, and we celebrated accordingly. And fittingly, in light of that anniversary and in a spirit of renewal (constant renewal, it often seems), we re-invented much of your gym. Over the last year or so, we’ve re-done the front desk and café, the Cycle Studio and the nursery, we completely replaced the weight room circuit equipment, re-did the aerobic room (new floor and decor—see photo) and brought in ten new treadmills…I feel like I’m forgetting something…oh, yeah, we also completely revamped our website, as well as the spa’s website, introduced our mobile app, and, based on your feedback, remade large portions of the world’s largest(?) class schedule. Now that’s how you celebrate your anniversary!

Would you be surprised to learn that more is on the way? You’d probably be surprised if it wasn’t! We’re in the process of planning a significant upgrade to the locker room facilities, looking at upgrades to the yoga and boxing/training rooms, and checking out some very interesting new equipment…we’re always on the hunt!

The bottom line is that we’re committed to keeping Fitness Incentive the very best it can be. As the Beatles once put it,“we’re getting better all the time.”

Best of Long Island, 2015

Now that I’ve listed the slew of improvements we’ve recently instituted, it seems like a good time to shill for some votes…Best of Long Island votes, that is! The annual “BoLI” contest wraps up on December 15th. You can vote once a day at their website: vote.longislandpress.com. For easy access, you can also click on Vote Best of Long Island on our mobile app. We’re proud to be nominated in four categories this year: Best Gym (9th straight year), Best Nutritionist/Dietitian (Rachel Ezelius, Eat Smart for the 3rd straight year), Best Day Spa (Incentives, for the second year in a row) and Best Waxing Studio (also Incentives, first time nominated in this category). If you think us worthy, and we sincerely hope you do, we’d greatly appreciate your support. Thanks!

The Wisest Gift of All

Ok, I admit that I changed our holiday gifting slogan just to see if you were paying attention. Certainly a gift of Fitness Incentive is an especially wise one, but it is still, and forever shall be, the “gift that always fits.” Having said that, we take a lot of enjoyment, as well as a little bit of pride, in our annual holiday campaign. This year, we’re featuring our take of the “Elf on a Shelf” phenomenon with our own mascot elf, who we have (cleverly) named “Gymmy.” You’ve probably seen him around the gym, in our holiday emails and on our facebook page. Maybe you’ve even taken a “selfie with our elfie.” As our holiday spokesperson, Gymmy wants me to tell you this: the wisest gift of all is even smarter this year, because we’re giving you a free $20 gift card for every $100 gift card you purchase. And that goes for Incentives as well. You are, of course, free to use your $20 gift cards as you see fit, but Gymmy recommends keeping at least one for yourself. It is better, after all, to give AND receive. At least according to Gymmy.

You can pick up your holiday gift cards in person, of course, by phone, or most conveniently online on our websites. Instantly, even on Christmas day…not that you would wait that long…

Meanwhile, in the Spa…

While the gym has been abuzz with this flurry of activity, the Spa certainly hasn’t rested on its laurels. Not by a long shot. Dr. Donna Brown has been especially busy, introducing her new online Supplements Guide and rolling out her new Health Coaching program, both to great acclaim. The Supplements Guide can be accessed via the web at incentivespa.wordpress.com. You can also browse it in the Spa at the new Supplements Guide kiosk in the waiting area. It’s incredibly simple to use. From the top menu, click on “Select Your Health Issue”, then choose the general category, for example, “Digestive Issues”, and then select the specific area of interest, say “I Am Irregular.” Voila, your shown all the supplements that Dr. Brown would recommend you consider for that condition, in this case, Multi-Probiotics, Oxy-Powder and Flax Seed. There are recommendations for over 50 common conditions! It’s a great resource and reflects Dr. Brown’s broad expertise on the subject.

If you’re looking to take it one step further, health coaching may what you’re looking for. Dr. Brown brings her 30 years of clinical experience, with a special focus on nutritional therapies, to great effect, providing an alternative path to better health that can reduce or even eliminate altogether your need for drugs. If you or someone you love are struggling with health issues, you owe it to yourself to speak with her. Today. 631-893-3490

The New Spa Website

Following right on the heels of the rollout of the new Fitness Incentive website in August was the new Incentives Spa website this October. Like the gym site, the new spa site is “responsive,” which is a nerdy technical term that means mobile-friendly. In fact, the new website will automatically configure itself to work beautifully on any device – your computer, tablet or smartphone. Which makes it really easy to stay in touch with everything happening at the spa and salon (check out the “Insights from Incentives section for our latest deals and recommendations), as well as booking your appointments online. Easy!

From TJ’s Laboratory

TJ Lynch, one of our most popular and successful personal trainers, plays a huge role in selecting and maintaining the weight equipment we have at the gym. TJ is something of a connoisseur when it comes to fitness equipment, especially vintage pieces that he collects and expertly restores. If there’s an exceptional but obscure brand of equipment out there, TJ knows it, and they often know him – personally. His efforts allow us to offer you an eclectic mix of new and classic pieces that are world class. Recently, he found and expertly restored a Medex Avenger Pulldown that we’re fully in love with. What makes this piece exceptional is, first off, it’s incredibly smooth feel. It’s built like a tank but handles like a sports car. But beyond that are its unique, adjustable handles, which allow it to be set up with a neutral, wide, or reverse grip, making it very versatile. And then there are the special touches that TJ brings to his restorations that make them actually better than new. In this case, that includes custom handle grips by renowned custom equipment manufacturer TK Star. Add it all up and you have a great addition to our stable of equipment. Try it – you’ll like it!

Happy New You

Once the holidays blow through, our thoughts will inevitably turn to – what else? – getting back in shape. To paraphrase Seinfeld, we’re good at making the resolutions, we’re just not that good at keeping them, which is, after all, the point of the resolution. Whatever your New Years resolution, it’s good to know that Fitness Incentive is a place where many people have made their’s stick. Not just for a month or two, but long-term. The key for most, if not all, of them has been working with a personal trainer. So, in the hope of providing you with some inspiration for the soon to be new year, we decided to focus some well deserved attention on the life-changing transformations that have been accomplished by some determined members working with their personal trainers. The point being that you, too, can set a fitness goal and achieve it, and you don’t have to go it alone. In fact, hooking up with a trainer is your best bet. Yes, it costs more, but you get a lot for your money: an expert guide, mentor and friend that will help you get to the promised land. And then stay there. So read (starting on page 5) and be inspired…and then get started!

If you’d like to request a free consultation with a trainer, you can email us at fit@fitnessincentive.com, or visit our website: https://www.fitnessincentive.com/request-personal-trainer-2/

We’re Always Listening

You may have received a short survey from us over the past several months, perhaps several times. If so, we thank you for taking the time to respond. Happily, we’ve received mostly positive feedback, but positive or not, we take your input very seriously, and we try to address every issue that you bring to our attention. Your feedback has been instrumental in helping us prioritize improvements and upgrades to the facility. So please keep those survey responses coming!

There’s a Japanese term – “kaizen” – which means continuous improvement. It was a core principle that propelled Japanese companies like Toyota and Sony into world leaders in their industries. One of its most notable features is that big improvements come from many small improvements over time. We don’t aspire to world domination -we’re quite happy and satisfied running our little gym, thank you – but the philosophy of kaizen is one that we strongly embrace. We have been driven by it for the past 30 years, even before we had heard its name, as we emerged from a little one room aerobic studio to the gym and community we are today. And we will continue to be driven by it for as many years as we are granted.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. We wish you a Happy Holiday season, and a prosperous and healthy new year.