New Zumba Studio Coming to Mineola

Zumba – that aerobic fitness program that  – is getting  in Mineola.

Susan McGurn and Maria Ochakovsky-Gomez appeared before the  during the April 11 meeting at the  seeking a special use permit for their new business “Body in Balance” at 258 B Herricks Road for their new fitness studio. The duo plans to hold classes in yoga, pilates, zumba and “therapeutic medical massage.” Pilates is a core-based program that focuses on core body strength.

McGurn said she had owned a small fitness studio about 20 years ago and the pair have worked for a variety of fitness studios and conducted the classes in those facilities.

Scheduled classes in the new facility would be held at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. in addition to personal training with pilates classes on apparatus in small groups/ individuals. Classes would be held 7 days a week and take place entirely indoors. A sign in the window indicates that the business is already signing up classes.

Zumba classes can fit 40 people “comfortably” according to McGurn, but that number would be a maximum. Yoga or pilates matt classes would hold 20 to 25. The facility only has three pilates machines, limiting the number of enrollees to the machine count. The facility would conduct some personal training one-on-one and in small groups, all of which would be done by appointment.

“We don’t even know what that’s going to be and that could change; it fluctuates,” McGurn said.

There would be about four part-time employees at the facility. Jennifer Leggio, the massage therapist – who was not present at the meeting – is licensed and certified. A New York State license is required to conduct massage therapy. There are national and specialty certifications required to teach the different fitness classes.

“All of our people are that will be working are either licensed or certified,” McGurn said, explaining that clients usually come for massage due to doctor’s recommendation “to be more flexible, to get healthy by moving or strengthening their core or whatever else they have to strengthen or work on.”

There would be some amplified music but McGurn said it would not be heard outside the facility. No food would be sold at the facility outside of water. A parking lot in the rear of the building is shared with the landlord and consists ofd roughly eight or nine spaces.

McGurn said that the practice would perform myofascial massage which “is a basic type of massage that releases the fascia in your body to allow your muscles to move better or more efficiently in the body.”

The massage is reportedly good for those with spinal deviations. No showers would be on premises.

“I think as you may understand we need to be very careful, especially with that,” deputy mayor Paul Pereira said of the village’s approach toward businesses that offer massage.

The board reserved decision on the hearing.