Lake Jackson — One of Isaac Newton’s most often cited laws of physics is that an object in motion stays in motion, and in the case of Family Fitness, the machines, foot traffic and fun have kept the place bustling for almost 26 years.
But outside forces are going to stop them.
Family Fitness founder and owner Kay Aplin confirmed the rumors that the fitness center would be closing via a Facebook post on Friday. The gym’s last day of business will be Wednesday.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a severe blow to our business,” Aplin wrote. “Since then, rising overhead, property taxes and operating costs, as well as changes in the health and fitness industry, have proven too costly to overcome.”
Family Fitness’s closing marks the end of an era for many in the area who have come to view their gym as more than just a place to work out. Unlike other gyms, many members have come to appreciate the “family” aspect of Family Fitness, which offers flexibility and childcare services to members and staff. They have also built a community where they have made lifelong friends.
“I have always said that Family Fitness is more than just a gym, it’s a health club,” Aplin wrote. “To me, Family Fitness was like my child, and to everyone who has walked through its doors, Family Fitness was a special community that we grew up together in. It will be hard to say goodbye.”
For Arielle Lara, the gym is more than just a tool or a piece of equipment in the background of her life: it has been a pillar of her adulthood, the triumphs and tribulations of adulthood.
“These people here have watched me grow up from 17 to 31,” Lara said. “They’ve been there for every big event in my life. We’ve built really strong friendships. It’s like being in the military. We get up together and sweat, and it really bonds us.”
She and a group of about 15 friends toured the new gym together Monday morning. They met and bonded at a Family Fitness spin class, and planned to maintain their support system of friendship and accountability after the facility closed. Lara is leaving with her crew, but it wasn’t always that way.
Family Fitness offered Lara one of her first jobs. Bilingual and hardworking, she was quickly promoted and given greater responsibility. Aplin mentored her, teaching her about professionalism and power in the workplace.
“She helped me become more polished both professionally and personally,” Lara says. “I probably would still be wearing big hoop earrings if I hadn’t. She was one of the first people to introduce me to my now-signature red lipstick. Even after I’ve moved on, I always give a nod to Kay in my story as one of the first people to give me a real chance.”
An early riser, Lara has had the greatest blessings when it comes to relationships. She’s made lifelong friends and met her husband at the gym. When her battle with breast cancer meant she couldn’t exercise, she kept going anyway. The routine and community she found there were essential to her mental and emotional recovery.
“There were times when I couldn’t exercise, but getting up and going to the gym was so important for my mental health,” Lara said.
Friends from her 5 a.m. class, including her best friend Glenn Jones, were there to support.
“When I couldn’t get to the gym on my own after treatment or surgery, Glenn would pick me up,” she says.
These moments of support and solidarity highlight the deep bonds that form within the family fitness community.
“The community there feels like a safe place,” Christina Davenport said. “There are people of all ages and skill levels there, and it feels really good.”
Davenport has been coming to Family Fitness on and off since her college days — for classes, changing seasons, career growth and family milestones — and she keeps coming back.
“The community is great,” Davenport said, “I loved all the classes they offered, and they were very reasonably priced too. I don’t know if I was really disappointed, especially since I’ve been focusing on yoga for the last two years and I love yoga classes. The groups here are just great; there are people of all ages, all skill levels, and it just felt good.”
Davenport developed a rhythm of attending yoga classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, as well as special events, like couples yoga with her husband on Valentine’s Day, where she looked forward to classes in a fun, encouraging atmosphere.
When she found out the gym was closing, she was devastated.
Davenport said one of the best things about Family Fitness is the staff, especially the yoga instructors, but the environment they fostered was just as important.
“It felt like home,” Davenport said. “It felt like a family. Everyone is so supportive. It’s just a fun place.”
One instructor who was instrumental in fostering a family atmosphere was Kevin Trammell.
Trammell has worked as an instructor at Family Fitness for over three years, teaching Body Pump Cycle and TRX classes, and although her time at Family Fitness is nearing the end, she continues to put in every last moment she can.
“I just taught there this morning,” Trammell said. “Family Fitness is just… it’s a homely atmosphere, especially since I didn’t know anyone when I moved here.”
Trammell, a former YMCA instructor and teacher in the Alvin Independent School District, had no friends in Brazoria County when she came to Lake Jackson. Though she teaches elsewhere, she loves Family Fitness because it reminds her of the warmth of her old YMCAs. And it’s not just superficial: Trammell quickly felt at home in the county through the gym and the friendly faces.
She donated what she raised.Trammell’s classes not only provided physical fitness, they also created a welcoming atmosphere.
“The best part about working at a place like Family Fitness is the community part and getting to know the people there,” Trammell said.
Morning, noon and night, she does her best to spread cheer, singing while she works out and smiling when others imitate her.
While Family Fitness’s closing marks the end of an era for its patrons and Lake Jackson, its lessons live on among those the facility impacted. The announcement has been met with an outpouring of gratitude and sadness from longtime members and staff. Knowing that many are dreading going to the gym, the outpouring of loss paints a picture of a community grieving the thought of leaving their familiar front doors for the last time.
“I want to thank you all for your loyalty over the years. I will always cherish my memories and I hope you will too,” Aplin wrote.
The gym’s business office will remain open for the next two weeks to answer members’ questions and assist with the transition.
Cynthia Zelaya is a reporter for The Fact. She can be reached at 979-237-0151.
