Business of the Week: Lexington Avenue Gym
The reopened Lexington Avenue Gym in Mount Kisco is sporting a new look these days. The boxing ring that patrons were familiar with is still there, but the focus is now on personalized training and providing a holistic approach to fitness and nutrition.
Owned and operated by Nina Preizler, a Bedford Hills resident, the 4,000-square-foot facility has everything the fitness enthusiast could want, from treadmills to elliptical machines to stair-steppers and stationary bicycles, not to mention the heavy bags, boxing gloves, jump ropes and other equipment needed for a good workout.
Preizler has been an avid athlete most of her life, running competitively for SUNY Stony Brook during college and later competing in a New York City Marathon. After graduating, she began to concentrate on fitness to become stronger physically and emotionally. Her recovery from breast cancer 18 months ago turned that interest into a lifelong commitment, and has incorporated exercise into a regular routine she can’t do without.
Her husband, Sandy, who takes care of marketing for the business, likes to think of their gym as “fitness a la carte.” For many, gym membership is something that lasts temporarily. But at the Lexington Avenue Gym, he explained, there’s no membership fee, just a pay-as-you-go system that allows customers to work out on their own schedule.
Nina Preizler, a former English as a Second Language teacher in the Dobbs Ferry School District and before that New York City schools, said that while the gym has earned a stellar reputation in the area, many think of it as a place for men, mainly because the boxing ring is prominently placed. However, the facility also contains a second, more private space for clients of both genders to work out. Women now make up half of the gym’s client base, most of them preferring a more “personalized service,” she said.
Believing there is a no one-size-fits-all solution for getting into shape, the Preizlers have created a gym where every customer’s strengths, needs and goals are taken into account. Their dedicated staff of 11 certified personal trainers and class facilitators with a combined 80 years experience, focus on every client’s capabilities and their fitness goals. As a result, the workout is a more effective one.
The Preizlers also pride themselves on offering a training regimen where everyone feels comfortable, even if they haven’t exercised in a long time.
“It really doesn’t matter what fitness level you’re at,” said Nina Preizler, holder of a third-degree brown belt in Shotokan martial arts and who has exercised regularly by spinning, kickboxing and cross training for more than 20 years. “Everyone still gets a very intense workout.”
Functional strength training is what most customers can expect at the Lexington Avenue Gym. It’s the kind of workout that trains bodies to better perform movements that are used in everyday life, Sandy Preizler explained. Exercising a range of muscles rather than specific muscles not only prevents injuries, but also helps clients make better use of their bodies, he added. The types of exercises that get the most out of the body are push-ups, squats or lunges and various lifting exercises.
Creativity is also important in a workout regimen. Options such as one-on-one boxing instruction and high energy, small group fitness classes are all aimed at improving agility, strength, cardio fitness and core stabilization. Classes are $20 each on a walk-in basis.
The Preizlers also offer Boxing for Fitness classes for adults and children, private and small group yoga classes and a nutritional counseling program, led by a certified clinical nutritionist. As the parents of three children, the Preizlers are committed to providing superior fitness training for children and teens, helping them grow strong, healthy and confident with one-on-one training and guidance.
Despite the often hectic schedule that owning and running a gym demands, Nina Preizler said she is happy with the move from teaching to the fitness world.
“I’ll admit it’s very different from teaching, but you can’t compare the two,” she said. “The fact that I have my own business and that I have a real passion for fitness really does make all the difference.”
To find out more about the Lexington Avenue Gym or to learn about their promotional offers of a $50 coupon good toward any personal training or Boxing for Fitness package or a $25 coupon for a single personal training session, visit www.lexavegym.com or call 914-241-2657. Both promotions apply to first-time customers only.
