The four fitness experts who own and operate Core are (l to r): Joanne DeTore, Noelle Stevens, Sonja Balcom, and Nicole Sherman.
By Maureen Werther
Core Revolutionary Group Fitness of Glens Falls is celebrating its first year in business on Saturday, September 29th. Co-owners Nicole Sherman, Sonja Balcom, Joanne Detour, and Noelle Stevens are excited about their upcoming anniversary and are planning to hold sampler classes between 7:00am and 3:00 pm that day to prospective and returning members. They also plan to offer membership specials and discounts. Anyone who enrolls on the 29th can receive up to $99 off the regular membership rates.
The four owners are all highly experienced and certified fitness instructors and trainers, and they came up with the idea of creating a unique, top notch, and “revolutionary” style of group fitness training while working together at other area fitness facilities. The women have created seven different group programs, addressing all levels of fitness and incorporating a repertoire of invigorating music that motivates the class and optimizes the workout experience. By working in groups, Sonja notes that the workout experience is very much like working with a personal trainer. Members report how happy they are with their results and the business has grown, largely due to word of mouth from satisfied customers.
Class categories include strength training and conditioning, cardiovascular, mind/body – including yoga – and a special “green” indoor cycling program. Sonja explains, “All of our bikes are connected to generators, so human energy is captured and converted into reusable energy that helps fuel the rest of the building.” Core is the first upstate fitness facility in NY to harness human energy in this manner. The only other facility is located in Manhattan.
The cycling program isn’t the only “green” thing about Core. The partners wanted their new business -and the building it was housed in – to be, in Sonja’s words, “as clean and green as possible.” During renovation, they reused the windows and doors that were part of the original structure, their paints and carpeting are all eco-friendly and recycled, and the fitness floor itself is green certified. They also installed energy efficient lighting and water systems. Their feeling is that people who come to their facility are already doing something healthy and good for their bodies. The owners want their members to be able to get healthy and fit in as clean an environment as possible.
Core employs 22 fitness instructors, all of whom are certified in the increasingly popular Les Mills Group Fitness program. Most of them also hold additional certifications in a variety of other exercise disciplines and they continually attend ongoing training to hone their skills and expand their levels of expertise. This translates into an optimum training experience for the members, who benefit from the instructors’ ongoing commitment to proficiency in the latest training techniques.
“Members also love the comfortable, positive, and uplifting environment,” says Sonja. “It is very important to have a place where people can relax and work out without feeling intimidated or awkward.”
Membership packages and rates vary, and people can opt to purchase an individual “drop-in” class, a 10-class package, or unlimited monthly classes. Core also offers discounts for students, seniors, and couples. And they always offer a free initial class to anyone thinking about getting started in a fitness program. Their current class schedule is Monday-Friday at 5:30am and 9:30am; Monday-Thursday evening classes are held at 4:30, 5:30, and 6:30. Saturday morning classes are offered at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30 and they are closed Sundays. The Core owners are currently in the planning stages of expanding their programs and services, to be announced in January.
For more information about Core Revolutionary Group Fitness, you can contact them at 409-4111 or visit them on Facebook by searching Core Glens Falls. You can also learn more about them at www.coreglensfalls.com . And, of course, don’t forget to drop by and help them celebrate their first anniversary on September 29th. Core is located at 15 East Washington Street, in Glens Falls.