Thursday, March 28, 2024

Training the mind

Think. Train. Live differently.  These three ideas capture the essence of Embody Wellness, a new fitness, training, and massage therapy studio located in the Southwyck area of Toledo.  With the first enthusiastic handshake, co-owner Jake Westhoven sets the tone for a different experience.  "There is a lot more to fitness,"  he says, coyly, "than getting on a machine."

From the moment you arrive in the 3000 sq. ft. facility, you feel welcome.  There is nothing ‘gym’-like in its atmosphere. The interior is neat, carpeted, and bright without the steel, chrome, and big screen TVs so popular in the modern fitness center.

At Embody Wellness, the training philosophy is to invest in the whole person. The fitness area has a host of necessary training aids, including mats, free-weights, suspension trainers, boxing and kickboxing bags, kettlebells and exercise bands.  With three trainers to help shepherd you into a new wellness lifestyle, private training instruction starts at $25 per half hour.  Group sessions, referred to as boot camps, start at $10 a session and use a variety of group activities to motivate and condition.

Opened in March of this year, Westhoven and his fiancé, Jessi Talbot, first came up with the idea while in training to become certified Physical Therapy Assistants (PTAs).  “We started in the front room of a small house,”  he said.  The focus of their conditioning training is to use dynamic movement and a confident mindset to allow the individual to put together a functional workout.  “It is about wellness,”  Westhoven says very seriously.  “You won't necessarily find that at a gym.”

Besides physical training, Embody Wellness also has two Licensed Massage Therapists (LMT) on staff with private rooms in the back for massage.  Sessions start at $25 per half hour.  For the more serious-minded, the studio has a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) on staff  who is a member of USA Weightlifting.  

Already thinking beyond just fitness, Westhoven has plans to broaden his message.  “Wellness shouldn't just be in a studio,” he explains.  “It should be about helping your community stay healthy as well.”  The studio has a blood drive coming up in December and has started plans to support existing local efforts on wellness and human safety.  

7am-8pm Monday through Friday, 7am-1pm Saturday and by appointment. 2245 S. Reynolds Rd. 419-419-9928, attrainembody.com.

 

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