Funky loft space home to new fitness studio

By Joanne Oostveen - The Weekly News
Dartmouth's newest fitness personal training studio is housed in one of the downtown's oldest and most unique heritage properties.
Core Essentials Fitness and Sport Conditioning is in a beautiful building that has been lovingly restored and renovated into a funky studio space that will allow the business to continue with personal training, small group training, as well as introduce new classes to HRM, said owner Laurissa Manning.
"It was built for the Union Protection Company, a volunteer fire service, in 1895," she said. "And we have the original fire bell."
Although Manning is a native Dartmouthian she had not even thought about locating her business in the city, until one day she happened to come across the perfect space at 50 Queen St., across from the post office.
"I was driving through the downtown to teach one of my boot camps and happened to see the for sale sign," said Manning. "And once I saw the space I knew it was ideal for what I wanted."
And what Manning wanted was to introduce metro to classes and equipment that are not found anywhere else. Another plus was the proximity to the ferry terminal.
"I knew that Dartmouth clients would travel to Halifax to see me, but wasn't sure if Halifax clients would make the trek to come across the harbour," she said. "But since we opened in November, the location has proven to be so perfect that people are coming from all over."
The airy, loft-like feel of the studio is just the atmosphere for Manning's whole person approach to fitness.
"It is our mission to create an environment where we believe that fitness and well being is a journey and a lifestyle," said Manning. "The destination is not so important. It's what we discover along the way and how we put that to use."
Manning said she sought to make her studio unique. And she believes that people are tired of being in big-box gyms where no one knows your name, or caters to your individual health and fitness requirements.
"We offer everything from one on one personal fitness training, boot camps, sport conditioning, indoor cycling, therapeutic exercise, corporate and group workshops and holistic nutritional counseling," Manning said. "I have always found that clients want to be informed about nutrition as well, so I also have that training."
The RealRyder Indoor Cycling simulates riding more than conventional indoor bikes. They realistically lean and will give clients a much better workout, said Manning. No other studio offers these bikes or the water rower classes that emulate a boat moving through the water, she said, which is a perfect training regime for those living in the City of Lakes.
"I am so happy to be working and living nearby my studio," said Manning. "I feel like I am at home here and want clients to feel the same way."
joanneoostveen@accesswave.ca