By Jill Nagy
For people looking for a change from large-group fitness classes, a new Saratoga Springs facility offers private and small-group classes.
Refine, located at 35 Henry St., has a staff of four trainers providing classes to individuals and groups of up to six people.
Refine is owned and operated by Lyndsay Patel and Paul Koval, both experienced fitness trainers. Koval has been a trainer for more than 10 years. Patel, who had been teaching group classes, first went to a private trainer five years ago and aims to share that experience.
Last July, the new business owners began to move walls, and change the lighting and flooring. They opened Refine in September.
The facility has three private rooms and one group room. The rooms are equipped with exercise machines, including stationary bicycles, rowing machines and a ski simulator. There are also free weights.
In addition to the usual training regimens, the facility offers martial arts training, including mixed martial arts (MMA).
To complement the exercise rooms, Refine provides showers, towels, restrooms, and a “health bar” serving fruit, nuts, water and other healthy snacks.
Classes, according to Patel, are tailored to each client’s needs. They try to cater to people experiencing life changes such as illness, pregnancy or changes in health, and also recognize that “some people don’t want to go to a large gym.”
Patel moved to Saratoga from Vermont five years ago. She was general manager of the Healthy Living Market Cafe for six years and a group trainer at local gyms.
“We’ve been very lucky,” she said, to receive strong community support from the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and other groups. “They have been wonderful,” she said.
Each trainer sets up his or her own appointments. All of them can be reached through the contact information on Refine’s website, www.refine518.com. The gym is open by appointment only.