Many people would have simply thrown in the towel. But, Lacey Lucas doesn’t operate that way. She is a fighter and a survivor. In fact, one of her own clients responded to a post about her new fitness studio by telling her, “Lacey, your first location was just the stepping stone, this new place is magical, as are you and your business. Continue to grow and be joyful. Standing still is not in your vocabulary!”
Lacey owns and operates the newly relocated Lake Side Fit of Bridgman, which proved to be a huge hit from opening day 15-months ago in June of 2019. In fact she was bursting at the seams when the coronavirus slammed the door shut on most businesses across the region.
Having launched as a space offering group fitness classes, she had just made the decision to expand in February of 2020 by building a new studio and then converting the old one into a 24-hour gym offering cardio equipment, free weights, circuit machines, ab machines and more when the global pandemic hit.
Not content to watch her business fade into the woodwork, Lacey boldly stepped into late spring and early summer by offering socially-distanced outdoor fitness classes at nearby Weko Beach. She didn’t charge, but did accept donations to help keep the bills paid.
It was the extended shutdown that gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, arcades and theaters suffered through that almost crippled the business, and would have forced many to just give up. In fact, just as she was finalizing plans for how to plan for eventual full reopening that her landlord announced that payment was imperative. Rather than panic, the planned move was dramatically escalated, a new site was found, and the move has now been made.
The new Lake Side Fit studio has moved about a mile from the old Lake Street site to 9486 Red Arrow Highway just north of the Bridgman crossroads. Lacey and her family and crew have been working around the clock to get the new space, which has quadrupled in size from what they had before, ready for an upcoming grand opening, ribbon cutting, and other ceremonies to mark the dramatic turnaround.
Having a 24-hour gym shuttered to zero hours was traumatic, but remember Lacey Lucas refuses to stand still.
Her new space is even closer to Weko Beach, allowing Saturday morning class sessions to begin at the studio and then walk to the beach in nice weather, work the waterfront steps for additional cardio, and then had back for individual workouts on a nice array of machines from treadmills and ellipticals to recumbent bikes, rowing machines, ab machines, free weights, circuit machines and more.
Now, the gym and studio are all in one space. Plus, with quadruple the space, there’s lots of room to spread out, there is a new full spectrum infrared sauna, a red-light therapy room, a tanning bed, a massage room, a new shower is being installed, and eventually, plans call for a salt cave on the lower level of the building.
There’s lots of room for fitness classes, training sessions, wellness training, and coming soon yoga. Lacey recently shared with her Facebook fans a message about that, saying, “Nervous and excited, but finally going to fulfill something off my bucket list. Back in 2012 I took a yoga class and instantly had the passion and love for it and have been practicing on and off ever since. I never had the confidence to teach or get certified for it. I am certified in Barre Above and ‘Pilates/yoga’ but I never thought I could slow down enough to teach yoga, however, since last December I’ve been teaching Barre and absolutely love it. So I am working on getting my yoga certification and will be bringing some classes to Lake Side Fit in the near future.”
See? She’s never standing still!
At the new Lake Side Fit you can get a 24-hour membership, get 24-hour classes, or just pick the class of your choice. Discounts do, however, accrue to those with memberships. You can essentially range from a year-round membership to simply come and go as you please, monthly options, all the way to drop-in rates and single class packages. There are currently 25 classes in the Lake Side Fit bailiwick, all available to all ages and experience levels. Those uninterested in classes can opt for gym access ranging from a single day pass to annual passes and more. You can find a full menu of pricing on her website at this link: https://www.lakesidefitapparel.com/
Additional offerings Lacey brings to the table include online personal training regimens, nutrition planning, and even men’s and women’s fitness apparel. She’s truly making it a one-stop-shop for all things healthful.
Already her higher visibility space along Red Arrow Highway, with considerably higher traffic counts passing by has paid off, as more and more people call to ask about the fitness center, gym, and various classes.
For the record, in the middle of all of the chaos, Lacey was nominated for, and earned a spot among, the 2020 Class of the Moody on the Market 40 Under 40 Young Professionals in Michigan’s Great Southwest. She is truly making her mark in the region on multiple fronts.
Stay tuned for information on her upcoming official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremonies at the bright and colorful new Lake Side Fit in Bridgman, but remember, it’s open and operating right now.
