
New concept, designed to promote recovery of the mind and body from stress and exertion, includes infrared saunas, CryoLounge, compression equipment, and Pure Raw Juice amenity
Brick Bodies Padonia completed a comprehensive renovation and addition strategy, valued at nearly $3 million, at its Baltimore County location at Broad Street Market in Timonium, highlighted by the opening of its new “Recover” area. The space, which was designed to promote recovery of the mind and body from stress and exertion, features infrared saunas and compression equipment, CryoLounges, and a Pure Raw Juice amenity. Brick Bodies operates three full-service fitness and wellness centers throughout the greater Baltimore metropolitan region and has leased space within Broad Street Market, located at 2430 Broad Avenue since 2013. Broad Street Market is a nearly 80,000 square foot neighborhood retail center developed and owned by Hill Management Services, Inc.
“The fitness industry was severely impacted by the pandemic, with most consumers forced to find alternative ways to exercise and stay fit during the lockdown,” explained Chuck Cavolo, Chief Operating Officer, Brick Bodies Fitness Services, Inc. “As Brick Bodies began to emerge from this period and regain our customers, we wanted to introduce a revolutionary concept to the market that integrated all our knowledge about the health and wellness space. Recover provides a multi-faceted experience using state-of-the-art technology aiming at improving the mind and body, with a specific focus on addressing the mental health of everyone from beginners to experienced athletes.”
New “Recover” area targets improvements to mind and body
Adding the Recover and Pure Raw Juice elements required Brick Bodies Padonia to expand by assuming the adjacent space vacated by a dry cleaner, with the new total square footage rising to approximately 60,250. The new area features four infrared saunas – each equipped with optional red-light therapy, three zero gravity chairs on which to relax while using compression boots, and two CryoLounge machines offering hot and cold therapy. The assortment of apparati and processes provide consumers with a wide range of options to help alleviate aches, pains and soreness from exercise routines or athletic activities as well as to achieve other health and wellness benefits such as stress relief
Regular use of infrared saunas has been proven to remove toxins and heavy chemicals from the body, treat long-term health issues including high blood pressure, lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s, and reduce the possibility of Type-2 diabetes. An infrared model utilizes light that penetrates and heats the body directly, rather than a traditional sauna which heats the air first. The infrared process is considered more effective at penetrating muscles and joints.
Use over the long-term helps with the stimulation of collagen production, which prevents premature skin aging; improves blood circulation; creates the efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body which will encourage cellular repair; reduces symptoms of depression; and contributes to improved sleep quality.
On the other end of the temperature spectrum, the Brick Bodies’CryoLounge targets different parts of the body with both hot and cold treatments to help alleviate minor aches and pains. The zero gravity chairs remove stress off the spine which helps with lower back pain, boosts circulation, and improves posture. The Red-Light therapy treatments are said to benefit and tighten the skin even after one session.
Cavolo said Brick Bodies is using its Padonia-area Recover area as a “pilot” program and intends to roll-out other versions of the concept to additional locations of the wellness and fitness chain.
Partnering with Pure Raw Juice
“We have found that members enjoy consuming healthy drinks either before or after a strenuous workout and, with the availability of this additional space, we partnered with Pure Raw Juice, a company which shares our deep passion for health and wellness,” Cavolo said. “We are extremely impressed with the group’s use of family farming techniques and nutritious ingredients to produce cold-pressed juices, no-ice smoothies, superfood bowls and other drinks that helps people lose weight, build muscle or gain energy,” he added.
Pure Raw Juice operates 10 locations throughout the Baltimore City and Baltimore County area. Cavolo said the location at Brick Bodies Padonia is equipped with a separate entrance for consumers wanting direct access to the concept.
Rethinking and reimagining every aspect of the gym
Cavolo further explained that, during its pandemic downtime, the management team took the opportunity to “examine every inch of its Padonia gym in an effort to reimagine the layout and enhance or add features that directly address the needs of its members.”
“We realized that our full-court basketball court was an excellent amenity but only served the interests of a small section of our members,” he explained. This prompted Brick Bodies to initially replace half of the court with turf and add a network of functional training equipment. The response was so positive that Brick Bodies increased the turf to cover the entire court and transformed the area into “The Yard.” The space features eight Olympic lifting platforms, a “slam wall” for high-intensity throwing workouts, a sled pushing area, all manner of functional training equipment, dumbbells, and space appropriate for the running of sprints.
The biking studio was upgraded with state-of-the-art lighting and a new video screen, the boxing workout room and main group exercise studio were updated with improved lighting and sound systems, and the Mind Body studio was updated with nearly double the ballet barre space in response to massive growth of interest in barre, yoga, and other mind/body concepts.
“Our team took a close look at every inch of the Brick Bodies Padonia space in our quest to deliver a best-in-class health and wellness experience and the response has been overwhelming,” Cavolo said. “It has taken several years to recover from the damage of the pandemic but we are well on our way with the investments we have made to elevate the member experience,” he added.
“Our goal was to add or improve various elements to address physical health issues while making a quantum leap in the mental health arena, and offering solutions to help relieve stress and improve the quality of sleep. The issue of mental health, in particular has emerged as a major topic of interest among athletes and the public, and we believe we offer one-of-a-kind strategies and programs in this regard,” Cavolo added.
“Based on continual member input and our own research, we plan to further improve our full suite of services,” he said.
Featuring frontage on Padonia Road, Broad Street Market features eight retailers including Mother’s North Grille, Menchey’s Music, and Broad Street Liquors.
“We are extremely impressed with the entrepreneurial skills of Brick Bodies and believe they have reformulated an already highly successful venture in a best-in-class concept at Broad Street Market,” stated Danielle Beyrodt, Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer of Hill Management Services. “Health and fitness concepts are now considered anchor tenants, given the high volume of consumers, destination appeal and unique traffic generated by the uses. The category is also an Internet-resistant use and Brick Bodies is an extremely well regarded and recognized brand in the health and fitness industry.”
Founded in 1976, Hill Management Services, Inc. is a privately-owned, full-service real estate development company. Located in Timonium, Maryland, Hill Management owns more than four million square feet of office, industrial and retail space as well as several hotel and self-storage facilities. Hill Management Services seeks to provide long-term investments, exceptional customer service, and develop long-lasting tenant-landlord relationships. For more information visit www.hillmgt.com