2 JULY 30, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Small Businesses of NYC have had a rough 4.5
months. Since 3/16 most have been closed down due
to COVID19 and while many have opened, most are only
able to function in a limited capacity. But for some, even
tho NYC will be entering Phase 4, the doors will remain
CLOSED.
Force Fitness Club in Ridgewood, NY, like all other
fitness businesses in NY, has been told to remain closed
until further notice by Gov Cuomo.
This “open-ended” closure seems like it would be a
death toll for any small business, and for certain it might
be for some…but for Mike Romer, Owner of Force Fitness
Club….it’s an opportunity to pivot and offer services in a
different way to the community and his members that
many feel are “essential”.
“We’ve started Outdoor Workouts featuring our Fit
Camp Program, Yoga & Zumba….and we’ve had to put
people on a waiting list for them”, said Mr. Romer.
NYC has allowed outdoor workouts as long as social
distancing and other measures are followed. Force
has embraced that and is really offering some really
innovative classes now. “I love the zoom workouts and
home workouts, but I was ready to get back to working
out with people as long as it is safe. “Force’s outdoor
workouts are like a party, fun and exactly what I needed
to help me gain some normalcy back into my life”……said
one of the participants in the outdoor classes.
“Spending time complaining about what I CAN’T do gets
us nowhere. Myself, and my partner & NYC Firefighter,
Vinny Ruddy, have to spend our time focused on what
we CAN do for our members and our community”.
As soon as Force closed on 3/16, they began offering
Daily Workout Videos & Healthy Recipes to anyone on
their email list and offering it FREE to the community.
Zoom classes like Fit Camp and Yoga started soon after.
Now with outdoor restrictions lifted, they’ve added their
Outdoor Program to a VIP Membership that includes
it all. “We are making the BEST of a bad situation and
figuring out how to provide the much needed fitness &
nutrition services to everyone.”
As if COVID19 & the shutdown were not enough, they
had to navigate a massive scandal caused by Greg
Glassman, the CEO of the popular extreme fitness
program, CrossFit. He made some very inflammatory
comments regarding George Floyd. With CrossFit’s lack
of empathy for the recent events involving Mr. Floyd……
businesses were not comfortable being associated with
CrossFit any longer”…said Mr. Romer. They promptly
deaffiliated with the CrossFit brand, as did over 1200
other “affiliates” in the weeks following Mr. Glassman’s
comments.
Shut down with an uncertain future and navigating the
events as they unfold, you would think this would deter
most people. “We’ve been in business for almost 12
years, since 2008. We have built a reputation in our
community for being the BEST in Fitness….so we are
super confident moving forward in our ability to continue
to provide what our community needs” said Mr. Romer.
As small businesses around the city close and fight
for survival, Force Fitness Club is demonstrating how
you can find opportunity in the chaos. Even so, small
businesses in our community need our help. Our favorite
restaurants, gyms & stores are in danger of closing
for good if things continue the way they are going.
Supporting our local businesses when we can will help
our community remain strong and keep its character.
/WWW.QNS.COM
