Home Away from Home; Bloom Health and Fitness

    Bloom Health and Fitness has been more than just a gym to many of its customers for years. As Nick Vest puts it, "It's not a super meat headed gym filled with steroid users and kids who don't know what they're doing." He's been coming to this gym since he was a little kid, shadowing his father, Denny, in a way. They've been friends with the owners since the gym opened. Bob and Kriste Groshek opened the gym twenty-six years ago after Bloomnautica, another gym, shut closed its doors. "This was all on him," Kriste hummed with a bright smile as she sorted through papers. She had to stand on the edge of her brand-new sneakers since she was a short, browned hair woman who looks young for her age. "He was an exercise science major just like your boyfriend. He went to Philly," I cringed to that last part as she laughed. "Yeah, I hated the city too! He was finishing a doctorate down there, but he got word of this place being for sale. He wanted to go back home. Within a few weeks we were out of Philly and moving into a place in Berwick."

Nick at the front desk

    They share the building with a rehab center, ProRehab on Old Berwick Road here in Bloom. If you know how to get to Incredible Popcorn, you'll know where the gym is; just a block down the road. It's not a huge gym compared to our Recreation Center, but it's also not a gym that gets that much business. Bloom Health's customers tend to lean on the older side; mostly retired folk that are looking to keep themselves in shape and not become, as Kristie said, "living couch potatoes." They don't like newcomers usually. I know when I started going with Nick, they wouldn't talk to me. They almost seem to form their own cliques around the gym which is interesting. They would do their workouts (mostly consisting of either the treadmill, bike, or elliptical) and then take a few minutes to see if they had any friends in the gym to mingle with. That's if anyone is in the gym at the time. Bloom Health's atmosphere is somewhat alive in the mornings, but dead as doornails at night. You may have five or six people in after 5 o'clock if you're lucky. No matter the time and day, you'll always be greeted by an associate. 

     This gym employs 15 people. Nick is one of these people and absolutely loves it. "Working at the gym is amazing! Free membership, great people, and most of all, I get paid to sit and do homework most of the time." He mumbled with a slice of buffalo chicken pizza from Dominos in his mouth. As he chewed through his piece, a customer walked in. A taller lady with Goldie locks hair walks up to the front desk. 

    "Hey! How's it going?" Nick smiled at her, reaching for her membership card. He had that look of I know who you are, but I don't know your name PLEASE give me your card.

    "It's going. I don't have my card with me but it's under Lisa Sanders! Last page first column." She squeaked too happily. 

    "I don't think I'll ever remember your name." Nick shook his head and checked her in manually. Monthly memberships cost students $25 while adults not in school are charged $30. Lisa laughed and went on her way to the woman's locker rooms. Nick returns back to his scary chemistry homework. 

Small overview of gym

    Following Lisa, you are met with how "home-ish" the gym is with its absolutely freezing temperatures. There's no heat by the front of the gym. Kristie isn't sure about it either. After you have your frosty the snowman moment, you tend to notice the lights remind you of the lights in Walmart; long, white, and bright. The dark red walls kind of throw you off slightly from working out. The carpet's tacky and most of the equipment in the gym dates back years ago; some being left by Bloomnatica. After changing into some workout clothes, it's your choice where to start. Some start with the treadmills or Stairmaster right by the front desk. Others go straight back into the free weight room. Another fraction like to go into the "Zumba room", which is more or so a room for group fitness practices happen like Zumba or karate. It's all on the person who chose to come in that day. 

    "In basic terms; I fucking love the gym." Nick pulled out his phone and showed me a few photos. These photos of him dated back before Covid-19 when we reached the weight of 300 pounds. "Obviously, this was me at my darkest of darkest times. I simply stuck with it. I started at Plant Fitness then came here because I was employed. At the time, I had so much support from my family and girlfriend of the time. Even after that breakup, I didn't stop. It almost motivated me to go more and do more and simply be more." his voice got louder as he explained. 

    "And then you got fucked up!" A deeper voice came from behind me and I'm met with Jared; a very muscular, kind of short man with a brown beard that any man would kill for. "Don't let him flatter you Leann." He stood with us and gave Nick a cocky smile. 

    "That's from dead lifting and trust me, I won't let that happen again." He proceeds to flip off Jared. 

    "Okay get off your ass and come take a stroll with me with the fancy balls." 

    These 'fancy' balls are what the gym calls weight balls, but a small group of people call them gag balls. NO, they do NOT go into your mouth. These weighted balls are meant to train and straighten your grip. You hold a ball attached to a strap and the strap is attached to a weight of any sort. Best way to grip these is overhand. You basically walk with these until you can't and drop like a dead fish. I observed both of them walking around, almost waddling like little ducks and wish I took a photo of them. 

The back of the gym

    Bloom Health and Fitness will be a home to all of its customers and workers. You can confidently walk into this gym and ask for help if needed. Bloom Health's people can most definitely provide you with any kind of gym related services with a smile. To anyone who is interested in this gym and would like to visit, don't hesitate to ask about the Stairmaster and why Bob put WD-40 on it!