Maple Grove Gym Expands, Ready for People to Come Back Post-COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t kind to gyms and fitness centers. Gyms had to limit hours and people allowed inside. Sometimes they had to close completely.
Al Espinosa, owner of My Impact Fitness in Maple Grove, experienced those difficulties firsthand.
“Some people are afraid to come in,” said Espinosa. “They’re still waiting a little bit longer to make sure it was the right decision to come back to the gym.”
Espinosa increased space for his fitness center by installing a dome. He’s hoping that will not only get more people through the doors, but also increase comfort levels.
Through his experience as a semi-pro soccer player in Mexico, Espinosa learned the importance of keeping the body and mind healthy.
“Make them feel that they stay positive and, you know, never give up,” said Espinosa.
He now shares that message with his clients, while also testing them to take on new challenges.
“One of my goals is to help the person who is always afraid to do something new,” said Espinosa. “Our workouts are always different. They’re never the same. We do different styles of workouts. We use kettlebells, we use bars, we do resistance bands.”
Paul Felix is one of Espinosa’s clients. Two years ago, Felix weighed 400 pounds when he decided to make a lifestyle change.
“The idea of doing a burpee or an up-down was laughable to me. It took me five minutes to get on the ground,” Felix said.
He credits My Impact Fitness with helping him to reach his goals.
“I was able to shed more than 100 pounds and I’m able to do things now that I couldn’t do at all a year ago,” said Felix.
