New Bradenton gym pledges to protect you from COVID-19 while you burn the fat away
It wasn’t Steve Valley’s intention to open his new business, Manatee Fit Body Boot Camp, in the midst of a pandemic. It just worked out that way.
Valley, 55, who worked in public affairs and public relations for most of his career, including a stint as spokesman for the Manatee School District, decided to go in a new direction by researching franchises during the four years he worked in Washington, D.C., before moving back to the Bradenton area.
Fit Body Boot Camp, 5917 Manatee Ave. W., Suite 107, seemed like a good fit for Valley, who retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a command sergeant major after 29 years. In 2009, he published a book, “Inside the Fortress,” based on his deployment to Iraq.
“I wanted something close to turnkey, and I always kept coming back to Fit Body Boot Camp,” Valley said.
Working through the the process of finding a location convenient to Bradenton and Anna Maria Island and the red tape of opening a new business pushed his expected opening date back from February to mid-June.
Valley opened his franchise in the Pebble Springs Plaza on June 15, about one month after Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an order allowing gyms to reopen, using social distancing and sanitizing machines after each use. The order also allowed retail stores and restaurant dining rooms to move to 50 percent occupancy.
The order came a week after barber shops and beauty salons were allowed to reopen.
Chelsea Cardozo was returning from the beach with a friend when she saw the sign going up for Manatee Fit Body Boot Camp.
“Since the quarantine I have really been getting into exercise. It’s only 30 minutes. I appreciate that after we rotate from one set of equipment to another that the equipment is wiped down with disinfectant. After each session, they clean the entire facility. They know COVID-19 is real. I appreciate the precautions they take,” Cardoza said.
A lifelong fitness activist, Valley is knowledgeable of weightlifting, cardio fitness and Krav Maga. He’s also successfully completed the Boston Marathon and The Army Ten Miler road races.
“I’ve learned so much from my time in the military, and one value that I’ll bring to Manatee County Fit Body Boot Camp is the ‘no person left behind’ mentality,” Valley said. “We’ll emphasize to our clients that no matter how big or small your goal is, you have a team rooting for you and we’re behind you all the way and beyond.”
Fit Body Boot Camp’s fat-burning workouts are designed for women and men and aim to support the client’s success with one-on-one accountability with fitness coaches, nutrition coaching, smart goal-setting and workout adjustments.
Manatee Fit Body Boot Camp, located in a 3,200-square-foot facility, has sessions in the mornings and evenings to accommodate all schedules. The coaches use low-risk exercises and minimal equipment to emphasize the natural fat burning and muscle toning power of the human body.
Inevitably, the discussion about business operations today comes back to the pandemic, and whether it is a safe environment.
Like hospitals, restaurants, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations that have had staff members test positive for COVID-19, Valley had a coach test positive for COVID-19. Valley immediately notified all members. Fortunately, the coach made a full recovery and there has been no recurrence among staff or members.
“We are very aware of what is going on out there,” Valley said of the more than 7,000 positive tests for COVID-19 in Manatee County.
“We offer a great workout in a safe facility. We keep social distancing. We don’t want anyone to get sick. We had 17 people on the floor today and everyone kept their distance,” he said. “This is the environment we have to live in for the foreseeable future. I can’t say enough about this great community.”
Manatee Fit Body Boot Camp, which now has a membership of about 150, offers 10 percent discounts on monthly memberships for all military veterans, law enforcement, school district and healthcare workers.
For more information about Manatee Fit Body Boot Camp visit www.manateefitbody.com or call 941-545-4007.
