VASA Fitness in Oswego now open in long-vacant former Dominick’s building

The newly opened VASA Fitness gym in Oswego wants to help you meet all your fitness goals, no matter how big or small.

“We want to provide an atmosphere where everybody feels welcome, included and that they can find something to help them reach their fitness goals and something that they can enjoy,” said Layne Nordquist, regional director for VASA Fitness. “As you look around the gym, there is something for everybody, whether it’s Olympic lifting for those who are really trying to increase their strength or somebody who just wants to show up and get a great workout led by a certified coach. We really have something to meet everybody where they are at on their fitness journey.”

“It’s a busy gym. You would have never known this opened just three weeks ago.”

—  Gini Grimsley, director of fitness product for VASA Fitness

VASA Fitness opened on April 27 in the long-vacant former Dominick’s building in the Oswego Commons shopping center on Route 34 in Oswego. The space at 3010 Route 34 had been vacant since the grocery store closed in 2013.

The Oswego facility is the 57th VASA Fitness location in the U.S. The 58th location is expected to open in the next couple of months in Northbrook.

The facility has been generating a lot of interest since it opened.

“This has been a great grand opening for us,” said Gini Grimsley, director of fitness product for VASA Fitness. “The community has been super receptive. It’s a busy gym. You would have never known this opened just three weeks ago.”

They have been seeing people returning to the gym. Like other businesses, fitness centers took a hit during the pandemic.

“Last we checked, memberships, industry-wise, are stronger than they were pre-COVID,” Grimsley said. “And there’s even more of an importance placed on mental health as it relates to physical fitness. So people are using the gym as a way to not only make themselves physically healthier, but mentally healthier as well.”

Those who use the gym can feel comfortable that a clean environment is maintained at all times. Nordquist noted the gym is deep cleaned every night.

“Every day as we reopen the doors, it has a really fresh, clean, bright environment,” he said. “We’re really committed to that.”

Yoga has been proven to help improve mental health. VASA Fitness offers boutique-style yoga classes featuring infrared panels above every mat that are designed to warm your body and promote healing.

“When you’re underneath the panels, it’s kind of like being outside on a fall or a spring day where the air temperature is a little bit cooler, but you still get that radiant heat from the sun,” Grimsley said.

Nordquist said that also helps the body stretch during the yoga class.

”You’ll feel warmer because the room is warm,” he said. “If you’re trying to stretch and the room is cold, that’s not going to be conducive to a good relaxing restorative environment.

The gym also features such amenities as a pool and spa, a sauna and steam room, a basketball court and a massage lounge.

VASA Fitness also aims to present the best value. Memberships range from $9.99 a month to $39.99 a month.

Nordquist noted the gym has personal trainers to help members on their fitness journey.

“Every single member gets a free hour consultation with one of our trainers,” he said. “They review their goals and do a baseline workout to understand how their body is moving. And then they talk about what a custom fitness program would look like that is unique to that individual to help them be supported and really be their best self.”

More information is available at vasafitness.com/locations/il/oswego.