It’s a Saturday morning and I gave myself plenty of extra time before the 730am bootcamp class starts rolling in. As I wait for the water to heat up to make a coffee, I see something that catches my eye. A notebook I remember from so many years ago. On the front is a Life is Good sticker and the words “sign in”. It has to be seven years old. Out of curiosity I flip to this date in 2010. I am instantly reminded of how far we have come and how much we have grown.

However, what stands out to me more than the growth we have experienced at mission FITNESS, is something more impactful. I look at the list of people that attended this class 7 years ago, and more than half of them are still members, and the other ones have legit reasons why they no longer attend (most of them have moved).

The mission FAMILY

I think of how amazing it is that we have such a high retention rate at mission. However, I am not at all surprised. So many people walk through our doors and refer to it as their “happy place.” There are more lifetime friendships that have been made at mission FITNESS than we can count. Every weekend we are reminded of this as we see large groups of MF’ers post pictures of themselves at wineries, restaurants, races, etc. We are reminded every day that mission FITNESS is not just a local gym you go to for a great workout, but a place where lives are changed.

Yes, our workouts and trainers are a big reasons why people love us and stay with us, but we also know that isn’t what will keep people coming back year after year after year. It has to be more than that.

The mission VISION

When mission FITNESS was first created we had a vision. We wanted to be a place that promoted a healthy lifestyle, an avenue to reach as many as possible, showing them that fitness and healthy living can be fun. We strived to create an environment that allowed people to grow and stretch, to become comfortable with uncomfortable.

It the past seven years we have stayed close to our vision and have introduced so many new programs to allow for this vision to come to light. We regularly have seminars that are free to members where we discuss our “stretch goals” and getting rid of the fear of failure. We do so much outside of the studio, allowing opportunities for members to experience things they wouldn’t be able to do without the support of mission FITNESS, like climbing Mt. Washington, Mt. Greylock and Mt. Monodnack through mission ADVENTURES. Learning to trail run through our Trail Running Clinics and train for and participate in Tough Mudder, Rugged Maniac, Triathlons and Adventure Parks are just a few more things we do each year.

When you join mission FITNESS, you are not just joining just another gym in Glastonbury. After asking the question on Facebook directed to members, “What keeps you coming back to mission FITNESS?” The answers were all themed the same way: the people, the culture, the community, the energy, and the positivity.

We have members who come to class six 6 days a week. They become addicted. They start doing things they never thought possible, and that is because they start surrounding themselves with personal trainers and members that are constantly pushing limits. Do yourself a favor and don’t take my word for it. Come by mission FITNESS and try out our Intro Group Class Special and feel it for yourself. You will instantly understand why this is a place where you become family when you decide to join and how it can change your life.