It definitely just makes it a little more modern.”

Cortney Janisch

The Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting at Anytime Fitness in Hastings to celebrate a substantial remodel of the gym at 1355 S. Frontage Road.

Owners Cortney and Derek Janisch purchased the gym in December 2024, but Cortney Janisch’s connection to the Hastings location goes back much further. She began working there in the fall of 2013 and has now made the transition from longtime employee to business owner.

That transition has brought a new set of responsibilities.

“I mean, challenging and learning different things that you didn’t have to do before,” Janisch said. “There was a lot of things. Our previous owner was not quite as hands-on. She wasn’t in the gym every day, so I did a lot of things already that I think were maybe a little bit more than some employees would have did.”

Janisch said her husband handles much of the financial side of the operation, while she focuses more heavily on the gym itself, its employees and the day-to-day work of keeping the business running.

The remodeling project gave the couple an opportunity to put their own stamp on a facility that Janisch had already known for more than a decade.

She said the gym had undergone smaller changes in the past, but the latest project was much more extensive. A major goal was to make the facility feel brighter, more modern and more open.

Among the changes are new light walls and additional glass near the office area. A member cubby area was added, along with a member spotlight wall where information and announcements can be displayed. The space also gives members an area to change shoes and keep some of the activity near the entrance organized.

“It definitely just makes it a little more modern,” Janisch said.

One of the largest physical changes took place farther into the gym, where a wall separating the turf area from other portions of the facility was removed. The space had once been divided into more individual studios.

Janisch said removing the wall dramatically changed the way the gym feels and functions.

“It’s a lot bigger than it looks from the storefront,” she said.

The facility extends straight back from the entrance and also incorporates part of a second suite. Janisch estimated the gym at about 5,300 square feet, although she said she did not have the exact figure available during the interview.

Opening the turf area also made it easier for staff members leading classes to keep track of activity elsewhere in the gym.

“Definitely helps having it all the way open so you can see everything,” she said.

The remodeling work temporarily interrupted the round-the-clock access that is one of Anytime Fitness’ trademarks. Janisch said the gym closed on a Sunday around lunchtime and reopened the following week on Thursday, leaving it closed for roughly a week and a half.

The finished project was completed in time for the ribbon-cutting celebration and related activities.

For Janisch, the project was particularly meaningful because a larger remodel had been discussed before she and her husband purchased the business.

“I was really excited to make it be what we wanted it to be, and so members and clients can enjoy it like we wanted to,” she said.

While the facility itself has changed, the gym continues to operate around the clock for members. Anytime Fitness is not staffed 24 hours a day, but members can enter at any time using either a digital key on their phone or a traditional key fob.

“You swipe at the door, come on in, so you can come whenever you want,” Janisch said.

She said the business has also evolved beyond simply emphasizing 24-hour access. Training, nutrition and recovery services have become a larger part of what Anytime Fitness offers.

Members can participate in personal training or small-group training, and the Hastings location offers nutrition coaching and recovery options. An infrared sauna is available as an add-on or through a premium membership.

The gym has also added Hyperice massage equipment that members can use to help with muscle recovery before or after workouts.

“We really, Anytime Fitness has kind of gone away from just preaching 24/7 and talking a little bit more about training, nutrition, and recovery,” Janisch said.

Small-group training sessions are generally about an hour long, with Janisch and Lisa handling many of the sessions and Jake also leading some.

The training program itself has changed along with the larger Anytime Fitness brand. Janisch said the gym previously focused more heavily on high-intensity interval training, commonly known as HIIT. While those workouts remain part of the program, other strength-oriented training has been added.

“The brand evolves, so you have to evolve with it,” she said.

The Hastings location also offers functional aging classes and continues to add options aimed at serving members with different goals and levels of experience.

The gym does not have traditional locker rooms, but it has three bathrooms and two showers. Janisch said some members use the showers before heading to work, while many local members simply return home after exercising.

Members also have access to a swimming pool and hot tub through a partnership with the GrandStay Hotel. The pool is not located at Anytime Fitness, but Janisch said gym members can use the hotel amenities.

The club’s base 12-month membership was $29.99 every two weeks at the time of the interview, or a little more than $60 per month with tax.

That membership includes gym access and access to Anytime Fitness locations worldwide. Members also receive a fitness consultation with Janisch.

During that consultation, she can discuss fitness goals, complete a body scan to provide information such as body fat and muscle mass, offer basic nutrition guidance, conduct a movement screen and work through a short workout.

Members also receive access to the Anytime Fitness app, which can provide workout guidance.

Technology has become an increasingly useful tool for both members and trainers. Janisch said trainers can build workouts for clients and send those workouts through the app. Clients can then refer back to them when exercising on their own.

They can also use technology to track workouts and nutrition.

Janisch said, however, that simply having information available through a phone or computer does not necessarily replace working directly with another person.

“You can Google search and find any nutrition or training program out there,” she said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to adhere to it, right? You still have to have the accountability and stick with it.”

For some people, she said, online tools are enough. Others find themselves returning to a trainer because they need help staying consistent.

“There’s still the added benefits, obviously, of having a coach there with you, making sure you’re doing things right, making sure you’re staying consistent, keeping you accountable, challenging you, all those things,” Janisch said.

The Hastings gym serves a wide range of ages. Janisch said memberships are available beginning at age 12. The location also participates in SilverSneakers and accepts a variety of insurance-based gym memberships.

“Not a lot of gyms take insurance-based memberships anymore, but obviously we still have just your regular membership as well,” she said.

For someone uncertain about whether the gym is a good match, Janisch said day passes provide a chance to try the facility before making a larger commitment.

The remodel comes as Anytime Fitness approaches two decades in Hastings.

Janisch said Leroy Nicholson originally opened the local gym in 2007 near Schoolhouse Square before it eventually moved to its current location. The gym has operated at the South Frontage Road site since 2013.

“We’ve been in the community for a long time,” Janisch said. “It’s almost been in Hastings for 20 years.”

Even with that history, she said there are still residents who have never visited or who may not know much about the facility.

The remodeled space is designed to make that first visit a little more inviting, while also improving the experience for longtime members.

“We like to think that we’re very welcoming and we’re a nice little fit for a lot of people,” Janisch said. “We’re definitely a little community of people, I guess, if you will.”

The layout also keeps everything on one level, something Janisch said makes the gym easy to navigate and gives members the ability to get in, complete their workout and see familiar faces along the way.

The gym planned an October national promotion allowing new members to join for $1, reducing the usual enrollment and security fees to $1 while regular biweekly membership dues would still apply.

For Janisch, however, the remodel is about more than new walls, equipment or finishes. After working in the Hastings gym since 2013, she now has the opportunity to shape the facility as an owner and continue building on a business that has served the community since 2007.

The newly opened layout, training programs, recovery services and updated look are all part of that effort.

“Just coming in, checking it out, giving it a try,” Janisch said. “Just do a day pass and see if it’s a good fit.”