Resident Opening Women’s Fitness Center in Downtown La Grange

Women in the Lyons Township area looking for a friendly, supportive exercise option will have a new option starting in mid-October, as La Grange will welcome a branch of the franchise Get in Shape for Women, a fitness studio for female clients with a small-group approach to working out.

The center is being opened at 79 S. La Grange Rd. by La Grange resident Maureen Nosek, who is departing a longtime career in pharmaceutical sales to pursue her passion for personal training. She says that Get in Shape offers a unique approach, tailored for women, that sets it apart from standard gyms.

“For a lot of women, the large big-box gyms are just a little too impersonal, a little too intimidating,” Nosek said. “This is not that type of place; it’s full of support. We want the women who come in to feel supported, comfortable and confident.”

Get in Shape for Women locations offer an alternative to individual workouts in expansive gymnasiums. The Get in Shape training style features classes of no more than four women and emphasizes a “four-part transformation model:” cardio, weight-training, nutrition support and accountability.

Nosek suggested that last part is particularly helpful for sticking to a program. “We can all hold ourselves accountable, but I think it’s nice to have other people hold you accountable, too,” she said. “We make appointments here, so if you miss an appointment, you’re going to get a phone all. We do measurements; we keep people focused and on-track towards their goal.”

The new La Grange center is just under 1,250 sq. ft., and will feature a retail portion near the front of the center with an intimate workout area in back. The workout area will have cardio equipment, weight machines and free weights.

La Grange’s Get in Shape for Women location is the first of 10 planned in the state of Illinois—and, if the timing works out, may be the 100th overall nationwide, Nosek said. The franchise originated in Massachusetts, where it boasts 64 centers, and is currently expanding nationwide towards a professed ultimate goal of 5,000 locations globally.

“Over the years, women would frequently expressed concerns to me about working out in big-box gyms,” Get in Shape founder Brian Cook wrote in an e-mail “To better service women who wanted to be in a more supportive, intimate environment, I designed Get In Shape For Women as a boutique, studio-style workout facility for women's small group training.”

Nosek grew up in Riverside and has been a resident of La Grange for nearly two decades with her husband, Evan, who is assisting in her endeavor. She said she read about the Get in Shape for Women franchise in a magazine, researched it and quickly became an advocate.

“With every conversation with them I grew more and more excited about the opportunity; to think I could be their first [franchise owner] here when I know it can be successful here,” Nosek said. “That made it even more exciting.”

Get in Shape for Women will open at 79 S. La Grange Rd. sometime in mid-October.