The best looking bodies and in- shape people seem to reside in Aventura and sunny South Florida, perhaps because the weather is conducive to wearing fewer clothes and more beachwear all year round. Or perhaps it’s because the Soffer Aventura Fitness Trail is the place to be seen while walking, running, jogging, bike riding, rollerblading, pushing baby strollers or walking dogs. All have a part in getting in shape. But mostly Aventurians are so great looking because we have the best gyms around!
There is Olympia which has been here as long as Aventura has. There’s Bally’s in The Waterways with an indoor pool. There is Lady of America on Aventura Blvd. and My Gym for the little ones to start them out on the right path to fitness. There are gyms and spas in all the condos in town and the newer the building, the larger the gyms, spas and fitness areas. Some have free-standing fitness centers, such as Hamptons South & West, Hidden Bay, Island Way, and the state- of- the -art cardiovascular and Cybex weight equipment and fitness amenities in the tastefully appointed exercise and aerobics room gym at Porto Vita. Peninsula I now features Technogym equipment from Italy.
All great and part of the growing culture to work out, get healthy and look great in a bikini or mini. However, recently Aventura Mall has brought us the incredible Equinox Gym, which I was introduced to through a networking event for the Aventura Marketing Council where I met the beautiful membership advisor extraordinaire, Jennifer Burke. Equinox is awesome…..from the private parking and easy access to the amazing hours. Equinox members and guests are greeted by cheery team members or manager, Solange Beaumard, and then browse their fitness store or enjoy something healthy from their juice bar/ restaurant. Enter the enormous super clean, spectacular gym. At- service heated towels are handed to you…… wherever you are, they find you. There are TVs on all of the equipment and places for headphones. There is an abundance of every type of workout equipment.
The classes range from spinning to aerobics. The trainers are the best around. I work out with James Balaila, who is also a nutrition expert and is so into what he does. I have always worked out with trainers and I have never worked out like this. The sessions are incredible and the experts, different each time, so planned out and special. In the shop I purchased a heart monitor and we watch my heart rate to be sure I’m maximizing my workout-from the typical weight machines to running through floor ladders, balancing on core balls, doing the Heisman maneuver to core strengthening. We check my BFI every four weeks and it has safely improved.
I have usually placed towels on every piece of equipment as long as I have worked out because they felt dirty and I wanted to avoid germs. At Equinox, I hop right on with nothing between me and the equipment. It feels clean ……like hospitals, sanitized and healthy.
The city of Aventura just gets better and better and is building better bodies as it grows.
