As Massachusetts begins its reopening plan, I had a chance to try one of the 
first businesses to return to the “new normal.” Summit Health and Fitness on Wiggins Avenue this week started rolling out outdoor group fitness classes. They converted their parking lot into a spin cycling “room” and a CrossFit workout space. The classes were limited to 10 people, all 12 feet apart. Masks are required and everything is wiped down with disinfectant before and after use. The owners, Jane Karpovsky and Denis Mezhertskiy of Bedford, bought Summit on January 23 of this year. They consulted with the Bedford Board of Health to make sure all the protocols were met.
Jane is the owner of Moving Forward Physical Therapy, which has been a tenant of Summit for a while now. When the previous owners decided to sell Summit, Jane and Denis, who were aware of the community feeling at Summit, saw the opportunity and decided to buy it.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t too long after that that they were forced to close their door due to the pandemic in March. Denis said, “We saw it coming, so a few weeks before we were ordered to close, we started streaming group work-outs and personal training sessions.” He said that one of the issues they ran into was they needed to upgrade all their AV equipment. They needed: cameras, tripods, lights, microphones, new computers, and more. They ended up spending close to $3,000 just on their AV needs. It was an investment that paid off. They have been live streaming through Facebook and Zoom since March and have quite a following. Members have access to past classes too. Denis said he has gotten great feedback on their “library.” He says, “I hear from members who tell me they love trying new types of classes, classes they never even knew were being taught.”
Summit always has had a strong sense of community, and Denis went on to 
say, “The Summit community has really been amazing; although a lot of people have had to suspend their membership, around 60% of the club kept their membership current.” He went on to say he has one member who mails his check each month and always includes a letter with the check. “It is really touching.”
Both Jane and Denis are optimistic about the future. They have just become an official CrossFit affiliate and are purchasing new equipment for the CrossFit setup. Denis says he’s been doing CrossFit for a couple of years now, and is really looking forward to bringing it to Summit. They’re purchasing rowers, boxes, bikes, and squat racks. The CrossFit classes are being offered outside while Summit is still in lockdown.
Another area that they are going to be adding is more programs for young athletes. They started doing the virtual class for young athletes and the response has been great. Denis went on to say, “I have two boys at home, I know how important these things are.”
So, the new normal is evolving. Check out what Summit has to offer.
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