By: Nicholas Kolb

BRIGHTON, N.Y. –   Health and fitness has taken a backseat to COVID-19. According to a survey by the American Psychological Association’s “Stress in America” pandemic survey, 61% of people surveyed said they experience unwanted weight gain due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.

As people in the Rochester community start to re-evaluate, many are seeking personal trainers to help get them back into living a healthier lifestyle. 

Garret Agosto has been a personal trainer in the Rochester community for the past ten years and is the owner of Agosto Fitness, a personal and group training studio located in Brighton, N.Y. 

“During the pandemic the state and local government forced me to shut down for three months which resulted in a total loss of business income for me. I was very concerned if I would be able to stay in business during those times. Thankfully we reopened in September of 2020 and since we have reopened our business it has seen some extreme growth,.” Agosto said. 

In the past year since the lockdown was lifted, Agosto Fitness has grown its client base almost double in size. Agosto just moved from his previous location of 850 square feet to a new location of 2500 square feet.

“The past year a lot of people have been locked inside and have not had the best diet habits. Many realize now that they need to get into better shape and personal training is more beneficial than going to a traditional gym. We hold people accountable and write out fitness and diet plans specific to the individual.,” Agosto said. 

Agosto did lose some clients during the pandemic, but many long-time clients stayed with him. Nicole Blount is a Registered Nurse at a local hospital in Rochester. She has been a client of Agosto Fitness for over two years. 

“Personal training is worth the money to me, Garret holds you accountable and helps guide you the entire way. I see personal training as an investment in myself. The three months Garret was closed was tough for me, both personally and professionally since I worked on a COVID-19 unit, but we turned our appointments into virtual FaceTime ones to keep me in shape both mentally and physically. I am so happy his business is expanding.,” Blount said. 

Christina Parker and her mother Maria recently joined Agosto Fitness as new clients. 

“The pandemic really opened my eyes to how important health and family is. My mother and I joined to spend more time with each other and to get into better shape.,” Parker said. 

Agosto plans to hire another trainer to help him with the growing demand and plans to start doing more group classes at his new larger studio. 

Looking forward, Agosto is optimistic. 

“I am excited for what the future holds. Taking on a much larger space adds some more risk financially but I feel if the demand keeps up It will pay off. At the end of the day I want to help people live as healthy a life as possible, that is what matters the most to me, changing people’s lives and habits.,“ Agosto said. 

As more people start to make fitness a priority again, the fitness industry plans on making a successful comeback. Local small businesses like Agosto Fitness are happy to be turning the corner.