SayulitaFit, Sayulita’s first fitness and athletic club is finally opening today, November 12th, 2018, and it has been the talk of the town since word of its opening first began to spread around our pueblo. With major excitement growing about this gym, I talk with the owner Josh Serrano about the services and fitness classes that will be provided, and why SayulitaFit is filling a need in this community that previously has been unmet.
Josh, where are you originally from and when did you first come to Sayulita? When did you decide to move to Sayulita permanently?
I am from the greater Los Angeles area. I made the full-time move to Sayulita in October of 2017, but I split my time between California and Sayulita. I first came to Sayulita on a family vacation about four years ago. We were looking for a tropical destination for our Thanksgiving week break. I decided to search for a permanent destination in Mexico with great surf, cheap flights, and lush jungles; Sayulita was the winner! After one day in town, we knew we had found something special.
Why did you decide to open your business, Sayulita Fit? What was the inspiration or passion behind it?
This is going to sound hard to believe, but I knew from the very first trip that I wanted to open a gym in Sayulita. I remember one day specifically from my original trip to Sayulita; it was pouring rain and I wanted to go somewhere to hit the weights and run on a treadmill. It seemed odd to me that a town with so many options for yoga, surfing, and many other recreational activities lacked a true health club. As we kept coming to Sayulita through the years, the idea for SayulitaFit began to cultivate exponentially. I moved here in October of 2017 to research the feasibility and logistics of taking on a massive project of this size in a remote town like Sayulita. I went back home and my friend and business partner, Jorge Martinez, immediately believed in the vision as well. Thus, we put together a plan of attack and went to work.
How does SayulitaFit help fill a need or serve a purpose in this community that previously wasn't met?
Sayulita has a handful of great options for people to drop in and get a good workout. However, what I wanted to do was build a world class training facility that can provide many different options for our community’s variety of health goals, all in one place. About one year ago I tore my ACL here in Sayulita doing jujitsu. I went back home to UCLA and had my knee operated on. My doctor there is the Los Angeles Lakers head team doctor. His rehabilitation program is highly advanced and requires precision work on a variety of fitness equipment that was not available in Sayulita. Going through my rehab program, and being unable to return to Sayulita to recover here, it quickly became evident that a tremendous void existed here in town: a facility with every piece of equipment needed to achieve your goals, knowledgeable trainers, an advanced sports medicine program, and a variety of classes.
Can you tell readers a bit about the gym itself- what the space is like, what types of machines they have access to, fitness classes, trainers, experienced employees, etc.?
We are located above the bank (Intercam) on Revolucion as you are coming into town. The space was the largest available in Sayulita, but it needed a lot of TLC. I essentially blew everything out and started from scratch. Our clients will have access to the most advanced equipment and training programs available. We have a full line of Star Trac strength equipment and Life Fitness cardio machines. The space we have for fitness classes is enormous, and we are adding several different class options. My personal favorite and what I think is going to be the talk of the town, is our indoor cycling class. The room has the best sound system in all of Sayulita. It will be a rhythm style class, similar to Soul Cycle. In addition, we will have classes for yoga, pilates, barre, dance, Zumba, aerobics, and we will be adding more classes in the future, including pole dancing, TRX, and cardio kickboxing. And last but certainly not least, we have a massive air conditioning system!
What are the rates for memberships/packages? Can clients do drop-in classes or day passes?
We will be running a special monthly promotion for the first 30 days in which we invite all of the Sayulita community to come check us out. There are three membership tiers, and the basic intro membership will be $750 pesos a month. All of our pricing will be available on our social media pages and our website. We absolutely welcome drop-ins and day passes. People visiting us from outside Sayulita will have a handful of short-term packages available to them. We will even come to your vacation rental and pick you up in our SayulitaFit golf cart if needed!
When will the gym officially be open?
Official public opening is slated for today, November 12th, 2018.
What do you hope clients will get out of using SayulitaFit?
Our main goal is for our clients to leave from SayulitaFit thrilled, and to truly see a positive impact happening in their lives and in the town. My vision has always been simple: build a gym in Sayulita that locals can be proud to call their own.
Anything else you want readers to know?
Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and weekends 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. As mentioned, the first 30 days we will have a special monthly enrollment offer of $750 pesos a month, with no initiation fees. Our grand opening is November 12th. See you then!
Written by: Aanya Sheikh-Taheri