Dec 15

Addressing Boston’s Phase 2 Roll Back

By Uncategorized
[JANUARY 26, 2021 UPDATE]

We are thrilled to announce that Republic Fitness will reopen at 7am on Monday, February 1 and resume normal club operations!

The city’s Phase 2 roll back was an effort to reduce overall movement in Boston rather than a specific concern around the safety of gyms. Studies have shown that gyms that require masks, enforce social distancing and disinfect appropriately, are low risk environments; we’ve gone above and beyond all of this to deliver industry leading safety standards.

We want to thank our members who continued supporting us during this temporary closure. With your help, we were able to continue to pay and employ all of our staff throughout these past six weeks; this community means everything to us!

Even with all your support, our membership levels are still down substantially over the last 10 months. If you have friends eager to workout with you once our doors reopen, now is a great time to refer them and workout together while safely distancing! Click here to refer your friends and you’ll get $50 in club cash when they join.
To unfreeze your membership and head back to the club, please please fill out this form.

 

[JANUARY 5, 2021 UPDATE]

This afternoon, the City of Boston announced a 3-week extension of the Phase 2 rollback currently in place and while this wasn’t how we’d hoped to start the New Year, Republic Fitness will continue to remain open for 1-on-1 training only at this time.⁣

We know how important your fitness routine is, as well as self-care, and we aren’t making any additional changes to our current, partial closure at this time.⁣

Operations that will continue uninterrupted:⁣

  • On Demand and Live Streaming HWX Virtual Classes, along with Remote Training⁣

  • Republic Fitness member access to all other Healthworks and GymIt clubs⁣

  • 1-on-1 personal training in-club by appointment only⁣

We ask that you please continue to support our staff and club at this time, but if you would like to extend your temporary freeze or make any other changes to your membership status, please fill out our freeze request form here as soon as possible.

All of our other Healthworks Group clubs remain open and safe, and we hope to be able to reopen Republic Fitness at the end of the month. Please know that we will continue to keep you updated as soon as we learn details on when this will happen.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at [email protected].

——

[UPDATED 12/15] As many of you heard, the City of Boston announced that they will be rolling back to Phase 2 of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan starting Wednesday, December 16 and running through January 6. This impacts Republic Fitness, Healthworks Back Bay and Healthworks Community Fitness. Our other clubs including Healthworks Coolidge Corner, Cambridge, Chestnut Hill and GymIt are not impacted.

The public health data is clear that gyms can be operated safely and many jurisdictions, such as New York and Chicago, have allowed them to stay open. We are disappointed that Boston didn’t follow the public health data, but we plan to comply fully with this order.

Based on additional information from the City of Boston, we have revised our plans and will unfortunately not be able to run 1-on-1 group fitness classes as we had originally planned during the partial closure from December 16-January 6. The live classes on the Republic Fitness schedule will be taking place at our other locations for this time. Operations that will continue uninterrupted include:

  • On Demand and Live Streaming HWX Virtual Classes along with Remote Training
  • All Republic Fitness members will have unlimited access to GymIt and Healthworks clubs in Cambridge, Coolidge Corner and Chestnut Hill (women only). Cambridge, Chestnut Hill and GymIt Watertown have free parking, while Coolidge Corner and GymIt Brookline have ample street and lot parking. If you have any issues enrolling in classes, please know that we have a fix in place and are pivoting as quickly as possible. Please email us if you need help enrolling in a class at a different club
  • 1-on-1 personal training will continue in the club by appointment only. Trainers will be in touch with their clients on the logistics. If you are interested in giving training a try, please email [email protected]

This has been a challenging year for our clubs and staff, and given the holidays and lack of government support, we will continue to pay our Republic Fitness team. If possible, we ask that you please consider continuing to support our local business during this time as well and we look forward to offering you continued access to training and virtual classes. We know gyms are safe and how important fitness and self-care are right now.

Boston is an active city, rich with incredible fitness studios and gyms. If you’d like to further support our local fitness industry, please sign this petition.

If you would like to temporarily freeze your membership for the next 3 weeks or make any other changes to your membership status, please fill out this form by 4pm on Thursday, December 17.

Please note that the changes outlined above are expected to run through January 6 and we will continue to communicate any updates with you as we have them.

Sep 03
Republic Fitness

Tips for Working OUT from Home

By What's New, Workout

We’re WFH for what feels like forever, but are you maximizing your time at home? It’s so easy to fall out of routine and into a rut with all that’s going on, but it’s important to prioritize your mental and physical health and MOVE your body! 

At Republic Fitness and Healthworks, we’re committed to making it easy for you to find ways to get moving and UP your immune health, regardless of your comfortability with leaving your house or going back to the clubs. Our virtual offerings continue to grow and they aren’t going anywhere, so here are some tips to create a successful home workout routine…

Embrace what you have, and let us help fill in the gaps. Yes, you may have space limitations or couldn’t get dumbbells before all stores sold out for what feels like an eternity… but work with what you have and don’t beat yourself up. For most of our workouts, all you need is enough space for a yoga mat, truly, so find a nice corner and create a little pop-up gym! Even if it means some slightly rearranged furniture, having a set space to “check into” will help with your routine. Plus, we’re offering even more equipment rentals for you, offering you bikes and bundles of Pilates/Barre, Strength, BODYPUMP and Yoga props and equipment to help you with your at-home gym set-up. Learn more here 

Banish the negativity. Don’t flood yourself with thoughts of your limitations. Challenge the negativity and noise, get into a great headspace and don’t be too hard on yourself. No matter how different things may feel, you’re still treating yourself, and you’ll be thankful that you did.

Find the time. You’re home practically 24/7 but you still can’t find the time? We get it, and we’re probably all working longer and weirder hours than before, but similar to finding time to go to the gym, schedule out your workouts. Sign off by 6pm to get in a workout before dinner if that’s what you used to do and loved doing. Wake up with a Yoga class. Set your alarms, block off your calendar and schedule a meeting to WORK OUT. Plus, the more you do this, the more routine it will all feel. 

Try something NEW! Play around with our classes or heck, try Accountability Coaching (it’s free!) or cash in on your first free Remote Training session (did you know that Remote Training includes our trainers coming to you?!) We have so many different offerings available, from the classes you know and love with longtime instructors, with some fun new options and incredible new instructors. If you ever feel discouraged from struggling with a class or not “having equipment” (we will always offer modifications!), reach out to us or try something new. For example, missing Zumba? Try DANCE or REMIX! Unable to do BODYPUMP at home? Try BUILD or SCULPT!

Learn more about our Virtual Membership here. We’re offering Virtual Classes on Vimeo On Demand, Live Classes on Zoom, Remote Training and teamTRAINING (as well as outdoors) and Outdoor Fitness Classes, all in addition to the in-club options we have. There is truly something for everyone, so let’s get MOVING!

Aug 31
Republic Fitness

Check IN and WIN When You Work Out This Month!

By What's New, Workout

You read that right! For the entire month of September, we’ll be rewarding you for working out with us. Plan your workouts, reserve you Gym Time now… our Check In Challenge launches Tuesday, September 1st!

Whether you’re working out with us from home on a Virtual Membership, joining us for outdoor classes and teamTRAINING, or back in the clubs, we have prize options for every active Republic Fitness or Healthworks member.*

Club Check Ins:
Visit any of our clubs 2 or more times a week and you’ll be automatically entered to win a variety of prizes at the end of the month (simply scan your badge and you’re entered!). The challenge runs from 9/1-9/30 and the winner will be announced on 10/1.

Club Check In Prize: 

  • Dues on us for the remainder of the year
  • 5, 55-minute Personal Training sessions**

Instagram Check Ins:
In addition to our Club Check Ins, we will be offering weekly prizes for anyone who tags us @Republic_Fit and your workout. Enter as many times as you work out, whether it’s a club workout, remote, virtual or outdoors… we just want to see how you got moving with us! 

  • To enter, you must have a public Instagram account and tag us in post @Republic_Fit. Stories are great and we love seeing them, but for us to track and count entries, you must tag us in a public, static post and tell us about your workout!
  • If you do not have a public Instagram account, we unfortunately have no way of seeing your posts. If you’re typically private but want to participate, we recommend adjusting your settings just while the challenge is occurring
  • Don’t have an Instagram account? Fear not, you can still check in at the clubs to enter! Our Instagram challenge is simply a fun add-on to the September Check In Challenge, so that our Virtual and Remote members can also participate
  • Each “week” of the Instagram challenge ends on Sunday. One winner per week from any Healthworks Group club, announced each Tuesday

Instagram Check In Prizes:

  • Week 1: 5, 55-minute Personal Training sessions**
    • Runs 9/1-9/6; winner announced 9/8
  • Week 2: 1 month of a Virtual Membership for you or a friend
    • Runs 9/7-9/13; winner announced 9/15
  • Week 3: 1 Myzone belt
    • Runs 9/14-9/20; winner announced 9/22
  • Week 4: 5 teamTRAIN Singles
    • Runs 9/21-9/27; winner announced 9/29
    • Sessions can be redeemed Outdoors or Remotely

We can’t wait to see your workouts with us! Please follow us on Instagram for Challenge updates, member photos and motivation all month long. We’ve also included an Instagram Story check off template (see below) you can use to track your workouts with us. Let’s get MOVING!

* Please note that the September Check In Challenge is open to ALL paying club members and Virtual Members. If you are currently on a freeze but want to participate, please respond to this email and we can unfreeze your membership or switch you to a Virtual Membership for $14.99 bi-weekly. 

** Prize is only valid with select trainers, but can be used in-club, remotely or outdoors, pending trainer availability.
Aug 25

Masking Up While Working Out

By blog, Reps

Masking Up While Working Out

We’re in a pandemic and yes, while we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we all need to continue to do our part, protect others and WEAR A MASK! 

When proper physical distancing cannot be maintained and anytime indoors, everyone must wear a mask and it’s a requirement at all of our clubs (and mandated by the state, CDC, etc.). We understand that this is an adjustment to the norm, especially when it comes to fitness, but with so many great mask options now readily available, you’ll get used to your new gym swag in no time. 

Here are some of our favorite masks for working out:

  1. Disposable 3 Ply Masks – these are safe, come in bulk, offer 3 layers of protection and best of all, you can breathe easily in them! We cannot recommend these enough, especially for anyone finding it hard to breathe while pushing yourself in your mask. Plus, once sweaty, just toss it and grab a fresh one 
  2. Sports Masks from the likes of Adidas, Reebok, etc. Shop masks from your favorite athletic brands, they’re using soft, breathable and machine washable materials, if disposable isn’t the route you want to take
  3. Everyday Masks from Athleta – more and more members have been recommending these (and not the Athleta Made to Move)

It’s important to make sure you can breathe but that you’re also fully covered – nose and chin! We’ve also found 3D Mask Brackets to be really helpful for breathing while working out in a mask (see here from Amazon!). And if the ear pieces bother you, there are a lot of options to tie your mask behind your neck or head instead. Per CDC guidelines though, you should avoid single layer masks like neck gaiters, as well as bandanas and masks with vents. 

Wearing a mask is also a great way to add an extra challenge to your routine with increased aerobic capacity. Be patient with yourself and know that our team is always happy to offer recommendations and modifications as you get used to the new gym routine. And hey, we could all use the extra challenge after being home for so long!

Jul 02
Republic Fitness

Republic Fitness Opening July 13, 2020

By Reps
It’s finally here! We are grateful and cannot thank you enough for supporting us during our temporary closure. Healthworks Group is a small, family-owned business, and we would not be able to make it through these 16 long weeks without you. We are thrilled to send you this email announcing that Governor Baker has given gyms the green light to reopen on July 6 and July 13 in the City of Boston.

Healthworks Cambridge, Chestnut Hill and Coolidge Corner will reopen on Monday, July 6 at 7 AM! Healthworks Back Bay and Republic Fitness will reopen at Monday, July 13 at 7AM.

A part of our world-class safety plan we are requiring all members to reserve their spot ahead of time whether they are going to a class, running on a treadmill or working out on the strength floor.  This will allow us to ensure appropriate physical distancing in our clubs and clean the club between each reservation block.
Download App and Learn More

MA Safety Standards
The Commonwealth also released their Safety Standards this afternoon.  We are awaiting clarification on some points but we wanted to highlight a few key sections:

  1. It appears that masks are required while inside a gym or studio even when working out.  Until we hear otherwise, we will be enforcing this standard.
  2. The required distance between workout stations appears to be larger than any other state.  While we await clarification on these requirements we have closed more machines and workout squares.  Please do not use any closed areas.
See our Safety Standards

Reservations

Are reservations required?

  • Yes! To help maintain proper physical distancing, we will require all members to sign up online for their Gym Time or Class.

How long are reservations?

  • All Gym Time Reservations are 75 minutes in length. We ask that you arrive during your reservation and leave promptly by the end of your reservation block to ensure we can properly disinfect the club between reservations.
  • For Class reservations, you may arrive 15 minutes before the class.  Please leave promptly after the class ends.

How do I reserve Gym Time or Classes?

  • Through our new and improved member app. The reservation window for your spot begins 49 hours in advance. Be sure to reserve ahead of time, and cancel as soon as possible if something arises.

Can I book back to back gym time reservations for a longer workout?

  • During our initial re-opening phase, we ask that you only sign up for one slot per day to allow all members the opportunity to enjoy the club. We will monitor capacities closely and modify hours if needed.

What is included in a Gym Time-Cardio Reservation block?

  • Gym Time Cardio give you access cardio equipment ONLY during this 75-minute block of time. Equipment will be first come first serve. You must fully sanitize and disinfect equipment before and after use. Please be prepared and leave the building by your end time.

What is included in Gym Time-Strength block?

  • Gym Time Strength give you access to our strength floor during this 75-minute block of time. Equipment and floor space will be first come first serve. Please stay within your designated area while working out. Please be prepared and leave the building by your end time

Do you have High Risk Hours?

  • Yes! We will close and completely clean and disinfect the club early each afternoon at 1PM.  To start, the 2PM time slot (first after cleaning ) of Gym Time will be reserved for members who are considered high risk.
    Please book Gym Time-Cardio High Risk or Gym Time- Cardio and Strength High Risk. Classes are separate and are not catered to a high risk population.

We are very excited to see you back in the club. Now more than ever, physical activity is crucial to strength and immunity.

All the best,

Mark Harrington, Jr
President, Healthworks Group
Jun 26
Republic Fitness

We’re Almost There: Important Updates – Sent June 22, 2020

By Reps

Thank you for your continued support. On Friday, Governor Baker announced that Phase 3 would begin no earlier than July 6. We have updated the email below which was originally sent on Tuesday June 16th with the latest information.  Please review the new information fully and fill out this form by the end of the day on June 23, 2020 if you are not ready to come back to the club in July.  This will allow us time to submit change requests to our billing company before the cut off.
____________________________________________________

From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for your support over the last few challenging months.  We temporarily closed our doors 3 months ago and cannot wait to see you in person again in one of the safest and cleanest clubs in the world. Over the last few months, we have been inspired by your stories of keeping fit away from the gym, our team members’ commitment to keeping you healthy in less than ideal circumstances and your kinds words of encouragement.

We have said it many times over the last 43 years, but our amazing community of members and team members is second to none. Your support over the last few months has allowed us to keep over 100 team members on our payroll, procure the best cleaning and disinfecting equipment, reconfigure our clubs and train our team on these new standards and procedures.  Please take a look at our reopening and disinfecting plans and videos.

Gyms are included in Phase 3 of the Massachusetts reopening plan and if Phase 3 starts on the earliest possible date, we will open Healthworks and Republic Fitness on July 6.

For those of you who have been supporting us in full throughout this temporary closure, your billing we continue as it has been. For those of you who have switched to a virtual membership or put your membership on freeze over the last 3 months, normal member billing will resume a few days after the clubs reopen. We hope to see you or even if you do not feel comfortable coming in, that you will consider supporting us.

If you are not quite ready to return to the club, we encourage you to try or continue a virtual membership to stay active. We will also be extending the no-cost freeze option for an additional three months to those who request it.  If you would like to take advantage of either of these, please fill out this form by end of day on June 23, 2020 to allow us time to submit change requests to our billing company before the cut off.

If you have already requested a freeze extension and received a confirmation email from our system, you are all set and do not need to take further action.

Mar 10
Republic Fitness

Top Standard of Safety for Our Reopening

By Reps

I am so grateful for your continued support throughout this very difficult time; I cannot thank you enough for your loyalty. 

We have been using this time while we have been closed to work with public health officials and experts in the field to thoroughly prepare for our reopening. Additionally, we have been in close communication with other gym and health club owners and operators from Asia, Europe and around the country, and are learning from their experiences as they start to reopen and allow members back into their clubs.  We are stocking hospital grade disinfectants, developing procedures for disinfecting and effective social distancing and training every one of our team, from Front Desk, to Trainers, to Cleaning Crew on these new protocols.  

Please visit this page for details on our plans for cleaning and sanitation protocols, club operations, HWX and  community expectations.  Our team will be working extremely hard to keep our clubs safe but we will not be able to do it without you.  Please pay particular note to the updates to our club polices and member expectations.

We expect that Governor Baker will provide additional details on Monday on when it will be safe and appropriate to reopen.  We expect our standards and processes will be more stringent then what the state lays out as requirements. It is our priority to keep you informed on every update as it comes to us. The health and well-being of our members and staff remains our top priority.  We cannot wait to see you all again.

Please let us know if you have any questions. While we will continue to offer Virtual options once we reopen, our entire team is eager to see you again at the club! 

Mark Harrington, Jr.
President, Healthworks Group

Mar 10
Republic Fitness

The Afterburn Effect

By blog, Workout

Topic: The Afterburn Effect

Afterburn, also known as EPOC (Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption) is a term used for the effects that take place after your workout has been completed. Even though you have completed your workout and are on to the next item on your agenda, your body is still working its way to recovery.

Here’s some science behind it!

EPOC – EPOC describes the amount of oxygen required to get your body back to its resting level of metabolic function.

Your body uses oxygen to replace the energy and muscle glycogen (carbohydrates) you used while working out. The more oxygen used, the more calories you will continue to burn post-workout. The amount of oxygen used will be different for every individual, therefore you won’t know exactly how much afterburn will take place. Some factors that play a role in calories burned include; gender, age, lean body mass, fitness level and the intensity of the exercise.

Studies have shown that HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts and Tabata workouts tend to produce the most afterburn effects vs. a workout that is in a steady state. Typically, if you are working out somewhere between 70-85% of your max heart rate, you will have more success in achieving afterburn. Don’t be confused, you can still benefit from afterburn while lifting weights! Be sure to keep up your intensity throughout the duration of your workout.

How can our gym assist you with hitting HIIT training during your workouts? Republic Fitness offers a Myzone belt which allows people to track their heart rates. This belt will notify you once you are at 80% of your heart rate capacity. These belts are offered right here at the gym, so no need to go searching! Use the links below to take a look at some of our Myzone team training classes as well as more detail about the Myzone belt!

https://healthworksfitness.com/teamtrainmyzone/

https://www.myzone.org/

Overall, it seems as though afterburn is influenced by intensity vs. the duration of the exercise. Great news is you could potentially cut down on the hours in the gym, BUT you need to be putting in additional effort during your workout.

Your metabolism is constantly working to help the body function, so keep in mind your body is constantly burning calories…yes, even when resting! But, afterburn is a major factor in burning those extra calories and burning away some excess fat.

Mar 02
Republic Fitness

Ways to Save: Health Insurance Reimbursement

By Reps

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to submit your 2019 health insurance reimbursement by the end of March to your insurance company. Reward yourself with up to $300 in reimbursement for working out at Republic. We make it easy for our members to save! We have provided links to major insurance provider’s reimbursement forms and directions here.

For those Massachusetts plans that require a receipt or contract, the process is listed below:

For access to your receipt history:

1) Log into the member portal
2) Go to My Account
3) See the left navigation for Payment History to obtain a receipt

For access to your contract:

1) Go to My Agreement Information
2) Click on Documents
3) “Previous Motionsoft Document”  is a copy of your contract form
If you are a part of AllWays Healthcare, please let us know and we will share additional info with you.