Melrose Celebrates Fitness This Saturday With Inaugural Fit Crawl
By Ellen Putnam
Stephanie Nelson, left, and Melanie Flynn
Photo Credit: Nancy Clover
This Saturday, Melrosians of all fitness levels - from first-timers all the way through bona fide gym rats - will be able to try out several local fitness studios in the inaugural Melrose Fit Crawl. The event is intended to boost collaboration among the local fitness studios, introduce participants to new workout styles, and give everyone a fun, energetic afternoon.
The Fit Crawl is a collaboration among seven Melrose-based fitness studios: Fitness Together (which is currently located on Franklin Street but is moving in the fall to West Wyoming Avenue), Barre & Soul (on Franklin Street), Nirvana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, btone, the Melrose YMCA (all on Main Street), Fit Life (on Corey Street), and Hinge (on Oak Grove Ave). The event is also co-sponsored by the Melrose Chamber of Commerce.
Participants register for the Fit Crawl online and pay a $35 registration fee that includes three 30-minute workouts and a water bottle. They will choose three of the seven studios to visit between 1pm and 3pm, with 15 minutes of travel time between each workout.
Then, at 3pm, participants and organizers will meet at Hannah’s Brewing for a post-crawl social where participants can pick up their water bottle, talk with fitness instructors and coaches, sample healthy hors d'oeuvres from Planted Organic Cafe, check out athletic gear from Marathon Sports, and have the chance to win raffle prizes.
Fitness Together is currently located on Franklin Street, but will be moving to West Wyoming Ave in the fall
Photo Credit: Nancy Clover
Melanie Flynn, the owner of Fitness Together, came up with the idea. “In Reading, where I was before,” said Flynn, “the fitness studios were all very close. We had quarterly meetups, and we would discuss ways we could exchange and share clients, if someone wasn’t having a good experience in one place.”
“Then I came here to Melrose,” she went on, “and that didn’t exist. I was the new kid on the block, but I thought, ‘How can we change this? How can we start to get to know each other, and understand each others’ businesses and the type of demographic we each serve?’”
“The Fit Crawl was Mel’s idea,” said Stephanie Nelson, the Executive Director of the Melrose Chamber of Commerce. “She reached out and asked, ‘What do you think?’ There are so many reasons why it’s important - getting everyone in the same space, working together on this event. Everyone could do this in some capacity: rather than looking at each other as competition, different businesses could work together and showcase what they have to offer in broader circles. It’s a really awesome concept.”
While the Fit Crawl was originally conceived as an opportunity for fitness studios to collaborate, it provides members of the public with the chance to try out a studio they might have been curious about without the pressure of signing up for a class pack or a membership.
“It’s a good opportunity for people to come in and see the space and learn about a style of workout they might not have known about otherwise,” said Nelson.
Fit Life Studio on Corey Street is another participant in the Fit Crawl
Photo Credit: Nancy Clover
“It gives people the chance to sample the product and meet the coaching staff,” added Flynn, “but the biggest thing is for people to be inside a location and feel the vibe. That’s what stops people from signing up - they may be too nervous to go into a space. And you get to bring your friends!”
Flynn emphasized that the event is open to all, including those who may feel self-conscious about exercising. “All fitness levels are welcome,” she said, “and we’ve created these service options with that in mind. btone will be offering a light beginners’ workout. Adam (the owner of Nirvana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) will do something more explanatory, with demos. We are all planning to do beginner-esque options. We realize that some people who are coming maybe haven’t worked out in a while, or might be new to working out.”
While sampling three different 30-minute classes over three hours might sound intimidating for some, “It should be fun,” said Flynn. “They’re not going to be butt-kicking workouts. Nothing is going to wipe you out.”
While Melrose has done health and fitness fairs in the past, Flynn noted, “that was more of an expo - this is actually tactile. You can see it, feel it, and do it with your best friend or your family.”
Attendees are encouraged to wear sneakers or athletic shoes, and comfortable clothing they can move in, but there is no dress code, and no special equipment is required.
The Fit Crawl is intended to be accessible to beginners, but it’s also a great opportunity for people who already have an established fitness routine and just want to try something new.
“It’s a chance to use your body in a different way,” said Flynn, “We all get stuck doing the workout routines we find comfortable, but in the grand scheme of things, you want your exercise routine to be rounded. I should probably do a btone class, or maybe some meditation classes!”