Many health clubs typically see a jump in membership in January. People take the beginning of a new year as a chance to get in shape and to start living a healthier lifestyle.

Those ideas don’t always stick, but the year-long club membership fee does.

A new fitness center in Gig Harbor has just the ticket for those who don’t want to make a long-term commitment. Harbor Fit, which opened in mid-December, is a pay-as-you go facility. It offers cycling, yoga, a fitness boot camp and personal training.

It opens at 6:30 a.m., offering clients a chance to get the day started right before work.

“There’s no membership fee, so you get what you pay for,” said Michele Brooks, the club’s owner. “The first class is free. You can buy as many classes as you want, and you get a break on the price.”

Yoga instructor Deborah Schrader said the setup works well for her clients who travel.

“Some people take a lot of trips, and they don’t feel like they’re wasting money with a membership fee,” Schrader said. “There’s no initiation fee, and people like the individual attention.”

The club has a cozy atmosphere, and the view isn’t bad, either. The club looks out over the end of Gig Harbor bay.  Stationary bicycles can be reserved online, so a person can be guaranteed to have one when they come in.

“I know people who have always wanted to take a spin class, but they were intimidated,” cycling trainer Brenda Boback said. “We have an enjoyable class and want people to come back. Once you get people on a bike, they get hooked.”

Cycling instructor Amy Cleave is one of those people.

“When a friend told me about taking a cycling class, I was like, ‘No way,’ ” she said. “But I got addicted and became an instructor.”

Cleave said people sometimes envision indoor cyclists as triathletes, and that makes them hesitant to try it.

“We do have some people like that, but we have a 75-year-old that cycles, and someone recovering from a heart attack,” she said. “We have all fitness levels.”

Schrader said it’s the personal attention that clients find especially appealing.

“I’m a gentle yoga instructor,” she said. “I focus on individual health — where you’re at now, not where you want to be, or where you used to be.”

The club attracts people who want to be fit but shy away from large fitness centers.

“People like the smaller classes,” Brooks said. “Some find the health club atmosphere a little uncomfortable. They like the studio space instead of a big gym. Here, you don’t disappear into a crowd.”

At Harbor Fit, clients can use a personal trainer for a reasonable cost, Schrader said.

“At a gym, you pay for more than you want,” she said. “You may just want to take yoga and not want to go swimming.”

“They’re not paying for a specific thing,” Cleave added. “At a gym, you pay a ton of money for a personal trainer.”

With Harbor Fit’s pay-by-the-class system, walk-ins are welcome.

“There was a woman who was walking around the harbor with her husband, and she just stopped in and ended up taking a cycling class,” Brooks said. “That’s how it is here. You can just walk in.”

Harbor Fit
The Harbor Fit studio is located at 8805 N. Harborview Drive, Suite 204, in downtown Gig Harbor. For more information, call 253-265-5464, email info@harborfitllc.comp or visit www.harborfitlllc.com