Alyx Devey spars with Lucas Ball while Jace Heller spars with Lexi Ball. The two children are Heller’s nephew and niece. (Photo by Betsy Allen)
HellaFit, Hurricane’s newest fitness center, held its grand opening and ribbon cutting on Monday, August 15. The facility, which is located at 2704 Main Street, features boxing, weightlifting, and cardio classes.
HellaFit was started by trainer Jace Heller of Hurricane. He was the owner of Boxing Fit behind Walmart, but he closed that facility to open up a new fitness center that would have more options. He worked on renovating the building, which was originally a feed store, for two months, redoing the floors, panting the walls, and hanging up punching bags.
Heller says that he spent his childhood and teenage years playing basketball, soccer, and living an active lifestyle. He got a job as a personal trainer at the YMCA, and found a love for group fitness classes. He says that community is very important in keeping people committed to an exercise routine, because they are more likely to come to classes if their friends are expecting them.
HellaFit features stations for boxing, weight lifting, and exercise bikes for interval training. In the future, the center hopes to have both yoga and cycling classes, as well as a smoothie and protein shake bar.
Children are welcome at the boxing and dance classes. “Families can exercise together,” said Heller, relating that in one class there was a five-year-old child, a middle aged person, and a seventy-year-old senior citizen. He says that it is his favorite thing to see families working out as a group.
Unlike many gyms, which offer monthly payment plans, HellaFit features weekly ones with the option to pause at any time. By downloading the GloFox app, members can register for classes, set up their plan, and skip days if they are going on vacation. The cost per week for an individual plan is $20 for two classes; $25 for three classes; and $35 for unlimited classes. The partner plan, which can be used by spouses or friends, is $52 for unlimited classes. The family plan is $65 per week.
For more information about HellaFit, check out www.hellafitwv.com or visit their Facebook page. Visitors to the fitness center can park behind the building; access to parking is between 2704 and 2710 Main. Overflow parking is at the Hurricane Fire Department.
