No matter how you slice it, 10 years of anything is a long time. 10 years of a fitness studio is a long time.
Did you know the average lifespan of a fitness studio is 5 years? More than 50% of fitness studios close in the first 1-2 years because of high overhead costs, member retention challenges, and much more.
Did I mention 10 years is a long time?! Why are we still here?! It’s simple. We have a good team, great clients and we’ve worked hard to grow and adapt to the changing world around us. Part of those changes are those in the lives of our instructors.
Since we opened in 2015, we’ve had many of the same instructors who have stuck by us and our clients. Their lives have changed and grown, and they’ve made time to stay involved in some capacity because H2L isn’t a business to them—it’s not a “gym”—it’s home
So this year, as I sit back and reflect, like I always do, I’m reflecting on my biggest change since we opened and why, like my teammates, H2L is so important to me now in an entirely different way.
The influence I’m setting.
In the past 10 years, I’ve gone from 0 kids to 4, 3 of them being girls.
Being a good influence for them with how I live my life and the values I teach them has moved to the forefront of my mind as they grow.
I love H2L because we’ve created a space, a home, that we can show the younger generation that health is important.
The way you treat your body, the way you think about and look at yourself, is important.In 2017, we started Kid’s Classes; toddlers and kids yoga, and shortly after that Baby & Me Barre.
We added Mommy & Me Workouts, Barre with your Girls, and even Summer Yoga camps.
The influence these classes have on these kids is not a tangible fact I can throw at you, but I know these connections the kids are making, the role models they are seeing, and their interest in movement matters.
Every time you come to a class and your kids see you leave with your water and keys, every time you talk to your younger coworker about the cycle you took that morning, every time you post on Facebook about Taylor Swift Barre, you are influencing.
Every time you bring your daughter or niece to Barre with Your Girls, you are influencing. You are showing others that you’ve taken a step to make your health and wellness an important part of your life… and they might be thinking, “I should too.”
There’s a whole movement on mental health that wasn’t around when I was a kid. There’s a fashion sense to leggings, there are water jugs with stickers, the search for snacks free from dye, and trends we weren’t seeing in the 90s and early 2000s.
These trends and movements are shaping the way society thinks about fitness and health, and we’re all just living in a way that continues to teach the younger generation a healthy association with health.
So, as I reflect on this past year and the 9 before it.. I think about what H2L has done for me.
I think about the influence we’ve had on our own children, other people’s children, each other, our friends, our neighbors, and I think with every mention of a yoga class or every time we wear our H2L hoodies out we’re reminding the people around us that we take our health seriously, and they should too.
We’re influencing people we don’t even realize to love themselves and take time to slow down.
The thing I’m the most proud of is the example I’m setting for my girls, to be proud of who they are, work hard to stay healthy, and you’ll feel better. That’s all we’ve ever wanted around here, people to just feel better when they leave our doors.
I hope my H2Ling keeps me active and moving my whole life. I hope I can lift a grandkid the same way I lift a weight. And I hope you realize the influence you have over those around you. Keep at it, friends, we’ve just gotten started.
It’s a little overwhelming to think it’s been 10 years and look back at all I’ve learned and all we’ve done. All the lives we’ve influenced and changed. The role models we’ve been.
I don’t know what the next 10 years will hold but I hope you stick around to see. We’re so glad you are here, I’m so glad I am here, this place is special. I can’t wait to celebrate it all with you and our fabulous team on Saturday, March 29th, for our big Birthday to-do.
Did you know the average lifespan of a fitness studio is 5 years? More than 50% of fitness studios close in the first 1-2 years because of high overhead costs, member retention challenges, and much more.
In the past 10 years, I’ve gone from 0 kids to 4, 3 of them being girls.
