Friendly Fitness At Juma Fit, Gia Alvarez aims to create an atmosphere of community, not competition. BY JENNA DEMMER
When you take a class at Juma Fit, Gia Alvarez’s
treadmill studio, you may notice something unusual: All of the treadmills face the center of the room, and there are no mirrors in sight. As much as this arrangement sets Juma Fit apart from other fitness studios, it brings clients together. This seemingly small detail reflects Alvarez’s entire vision for her business. “I am trying to create that communal feeling so you’re looking at the energy around you rather than staring at yourself in a mirror,” says Alvarez. “That is prime to the core of what we created all of this for.” To Alvarez, this key feature is what ties Juma Fit together with Tenafly as a whole. When Alvarez and her husband ventured out of New York City to find a new home back in 2014, they were drawn to Tenafly’s immutable beauty. But it is Tenafly’s welcoming community that has kept them planted here ever since.
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12/7/23 8:55 AM