Blush Fitness fighting to keep doors open in St. Joseph

By Jenna Wilson

Blush Fitness and its members are hopeful the gym will be able to stay afloat as it faces challenges and nears a potential closure.

The women-only fitness center has been open for six months in St. Joseph and has aimed to create a safe space for women in different stages of their fitness journeys.

This was a key reason Blush Fitness owner Christy Mayfield was inspired to open the gym in St. Joseph.

“Having worked with women in the industry for a long time, one of the major things that I hear is that they’re not comfortable in traditional coed gyms,” Mayfield said. “So, I wanted to really give them a place where they felt comfortable, empowered and capable of reaching their goal.”

Members of Blush say an all women’s gym was long overdue in St. Joseph, and joining has helped them get their fitness life back on track.

“I have been really trying to work on myself,” said Tori Smith, a member of Blush Fitness. “I’m getting married soon, so I’m trying to get fit and healthy so that I can enjoy everything to the fullest when that time comes. It’s just amazing to have a safe place like this gym to focus on that while not having to worry about the different kinds of people around me when I’m working out.”

Smith said she was emotional when she received an email that Blush Fitness could potentially be closing its doors at the end of the month due to issues such as client retention.

“I feel so supported by everybody that’s in this building,” she said. “That is really important to me and one of my favorite things about this place.”

Mayfield said the number of clients attending the gym has increased, but they’re still trying to attract more to prevent the gym from closing.

“Just due to some of the financial constraints, I’ve let our members know that there is a possibility we may have to close our doors at the end of May,” she said. “But I’m doing everything I can to try to keep us open and there’s been a huge supportive push from our membership to try to get the information out there.”

Many Blush Fitness members have been vocal on social media about how they will be disheartened if the gym does close its doors.

The owner has since come up with different ways to try and attract more members. The entire month of May is free of cost to all members, and they offer something hard to find at many gyms in the country — free child care.

“I think we might be one of the only facilities to offer it complimentary as part of the membership service, and that’s something I’m really proud of,” Mayfield said. “I feel like it probably lessens the barrier, especially for single moms or women who don’t have as much free income to devote to child care.”

The Blush Fitness community and supporters are doing everything possible to stop the gym from seeing its final days.

The gym is doing a 5K fundraiser on May 11 for Mother’s Day weekend, and many in the community are showing support, including Bear Den Boxing LLC, which has even promoted Blush to its own members.

“It’s just been incredible to see that huge push of support from the community,” Mayfield said. “If we’re unable to make it, I’m still going to do everything I can to try to find a way to provide a women’s atmosphere for our members in one way or another.”

Blush Fitness is charging $18.99 a month and offers a variety of fitness classes for women of all ages.